Browse content similar to 20/12/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
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Tonight at 10pm - Damian Green,
the First Secretary of State, | 0:00:05 | 0:00:07 | |
who's faced allegations of improper
conduct, has resigned. | 0:00:07 | 0:00:13 | |
Mr Green has been the Prime
Minister's closest colleague | 0:00:13 | 0:00:15 | |
in cabinet, an official
investigation says allegations made | 0:00:15 | 0:00:17 | |
against him were plausible. | 0:00:17 | 0:00:23 | |
And he's been accused of making
misleading statements, | 0:00:23 | 0:00:27 | |
about pornography found
on his parliamentary computers, | 0:00:27 | 0:00:29 | |
in 2008, before he was a minister. | 0:00:29 | 0:00:37 | |
The forced resignation came
in the past couple of hours. | 0:00:37 | 0:00:39 | |
We'll be asking how much of a blow
it is for Theresa May | 0:00:39 | 0:00:42 | |
and the government. | 0:00:42 | 0:00:44 | |
Also tonight - | 0:00:44 | 0:00:45 | |
Following the collapse of two
rape cases in a week, | 0:00:45 | 0:00:47 | |
Scotland Yard is reviewing dozens
of other cases, which are | 0:00:47 | 0:00:49 | |
about to go to court. | 0:00:49 | 0:00:51 | |
A warning that uncertainty over
Brexit is affecting the UK economy, | 0:00:51 | 0:00:53 | |
as the IMF downgrades its growth
prediction for this year. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:56 | |
The first big legislative
achievement of the Trump presidency, | 0:00:56 | 0:00:59 | |
as Congress approves his
major tax reforms. | 0:00:59 | 0:01:05 | |
It's the largest, I always
say the most massive, | 0:01:05 | 0:01:07 | |
but it's the largest tax-cut
in the history of our | 0:01:07 | 0:01:09 | |
country, and reform, but tax-cut! | 0:01:09 | 0:01:19 | |
We report from Barcelona on the eve
of crucial elections, | 0:01:19 | 0:01:21 | |
which will have a big impact
on the debate over | 0:01:21 | 0:01:24 | |
Catalan independence. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:31 | |
# Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle
Bell Rock # | 0:01:31 | 0:01:35 | |
And, the joy of old age,
our special report on the real | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
potential of anti-ageing drugs. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:39 | |
And coming up in Sportsday later
in the hour on BBC News: | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
a sixth Premier League
sacking of the season, | 0:01:42 | 0:01:43 | |
Paul Clement is shown
the door at Swansea. | 0:01:43 | 0:01:49 | |
Good evening. | 0:02:07 | 0:02:10 | |
Damian Green, the First Secretary
of State, and the Prime Minister's | 0:02:10 | 0:02:16 | |
closest colleague in government,
has been forced to resign tonight. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:18 | |
He's been facing allegations
of inappropriate conduct, | 0:02:18 | 0:02:20 | |
and on the basis of an investigation
conducted by a senior civil | 0:02:20 | 0:02:26 | |
servant, Mr Green has
left the Government. | 0:02:26 | 0:02:28 | |
He's also been criticised
for making misleading remarks, | 0:02:28 | 0:02:30 | |
about pornography found
on his parliamentary office | 0:02:30 | 0:02:32 | |
computer, before he became a
minister. | 0:02:32 | 0:02:33 | |
Reaction is still coming in,
first this report by our political | 0:02:33 | 0:02:36 | |
editor Laura Kuenssberg. | 0:02:36 | 0:02:41 | |
Sharing a joke right by her side
only hours ago. Damian Green, until | 0:02:41 | 0:02:47 | |
this afternoon, the second most
powerful politician in the country. | 0:02:47 | 0:02:51 | |
His old friend to May's deputy in
government, not any more. Is it | 0:02:51 | 0:02:56 | |
right Downing Street investigate
you? The allegations are completely | 0:02:56 | 0:03:00 | |
false. He's always denied doing
anything wrong but No 10 asked for | 0:03:00 | 0:03:05 | |
an investigation into him after
claims from a female journalist that | 0:03:05 | 0:03:08 | |
he behaved inappropriately to her,
and allegations he had downloaded | 0:03:08 | 0:03:13 | |
pornography on his computer in
Parliament. He still denies he had | 0:03:13 | 0:03:18 | |
anything to do with the pornography
the police found when they raided | 0:03:18 | 0:03:23 | |
his office in 2008 but the inquiry
fan, and he accepts he wasn't honest | 0:03:23 | 0:03:27 | |
when he said he knew nothing about
it am admitting his lawyers had been | 0:03:27 | 0:03:30 | |
told in 2008 and it was raised again
in a phone call in 2013. He wrote | 0:03:30 | 0:03:37 | |
tonight, I regret I've been asked to
resign from the government following | 0:03:37 | 0:03:40 | |
breaches of the ministerial code.
I've been clear I did not download | 0:03:40 | 0:03:48 | |
or view pornography. And on Kate
Maltby's belief that he made | 0:03:48 | 0:03:53 | |
unwanted advances, the report found
it impossible to reach a conclusion, | 0:03:53 | 0:04:00 | |
she wouldn't comment on either her
family said they were proud of her | 0:04:00 | 0:04:04 | |
for speaking out. Mr Green wrote: I
deeply regret the distress caused to | 0:04:04 | 0:04:09 | |
Kate Maltby following her article
about me and I don't recognise the | 0:04:09 | 0:04:13 | |
events she described but I clearly
made her feel uncomfortable and for | 0:04:13 | 0:04:16 | |
this I clearly apologise. It's not
just about the end of his | 0:04:16 | 0:04:20 | |
ministerial career. But his
closeness to the Prime Minister. A | 0:04:20 | 0:04:24 | |
friend since university, an ally for
a leader who keeps a close circle | 0:04:24 | 0:04:27 | |
tight. As First Secretary of State
one of my overall responsibilities | 0:04:27 | 0:04:33 | |
is for the oversight of
intergovernmental relations... And | 0:04:33 | 0:04:37 | |
as a minister on Brexit and other
issues his unofficial job was | 0:04:37 | 0:04:41 | |
keeping the show on the road. The
Prime Minister in black and white | 0:04:41 | 0:04:44 | |
tonight clearly sorry to see him go.
She wrote: I'm extremely sad to be | 0:04:44 | 0:04:50 | |
writing this letter. It is with deep
regret and injuring gratitude for | 0:04:50 | 0:04:54 | |
the contribution you have made over
many years that I asked you to | 0:04:54 | 0:04:57 | |
resign. Those affectionate words do
not make this an elegant departure. | 0:04:57 | 0:05:04 | |
Many of his colleagues will be
furious on his behalf but Damian | 0:05:04 | 0:05:08 | |
Green himself has accepted that he
was misleading, so the Prime | 0:05:08 | 0:05:11 | |
Minister has lost one of the few
politicians she could trust to watch | 0:05:11 | 0:05:15 | |
her back.
Let's go life to Westminster and | 0:05:15 | 0:05:19 | |
Laura is there. Clarify the exact
circumstances surrounding Mr Green's | 0:05:19 | 0:05:28 | |
departure was Mac there were two
elements to the claims made about | 0:05:28 | 0:05:33 | |
inappropriate advances towards a
young female journalist and Tory | 0:05:33 | 0:05:36 | |
activist sometime ago and the
allegation that pornography was | 0:05:36 | 0:05:38 | |
found on parliamentary computer.
Taking them briefly interned on the | 0:05:38 | 0:05:43 | |
first case the allegations made by
Kate Maltby, the official report | 0:05:43 | 0:05:47 | |
into his behaviour didn't find
conclusive evidence, there were | 0:05:47 | 0:05:50 | |
contradictory accounts, two sides to
the story were put but it was found | 0:05:50 | 0:05:53 | |
that Kate Maltby's account was
plausible and on the second count, | 0:05:53 | 0:06:01 | |
although Mr Green denies ever
downloading or viewing pornography | 0:06:01 | 0:06:03 | |
the computers in the Houses of
Parliament behind me, he did himself | 0:06:03 | 0:06:08 | |
to not admit his statements on this
had been misleading and that far | 0:06:08 | 0:06:12 | |
from the case where he had always
said he didn't know anything about | 0:06:12 | 0:06:16 | |
this, he admitted in his letter to
night that his lawyers had been told | 0:06:16 | 0:06:19 | |
about this in 2008 and he himself
had been told in a phone call in | 0:06:19 | 0:06:25 | |
2013. This was, therefore, in the
view of Whitehall officials and in | 0:06:25 | 0:06:29 | |
the view of the second opinion that
Theresa May asked for from her own | 0:06:29 | 0:06:34 | |
advise on these issues, those two
things were breaches of the | 0:06:34 | 0:06:37 | |
ministerial code. And, as such, I
think that meant Theresa May was | 0:06:37 | 0:06:41 | |
left with not much alternative but
to get him to depart. | 0:06:41 | 0:06:47 | |
Laura, in your report, you
underlined again at the close | 0:06:47 | 0:06:50 | |
collaboration and friendship between
Theresa May have Damian Green over | 0:06:50 | 0:06:53 | |
many years. So what kind of blow is
this dude Mrs May and indeed to the | 0:06:53 | 0:06:58 | |
Government? This is interesting, had
this happened a couple of months | 0:06:58 | 0:07:01 | |
ago, or perhaps even a couple of
weeks ago when things felt much | 0:07:01 | 0:07:06 | |
rockier around Westminster, the
government felt much more fragile | 0:07:06 | 0:07:09 | |
and vulnerable, this could have felt
like the finals piece pulled out | 0:07:09 | 0:07:12 | |
before the whole thing came tumbling
down. I think since the conclusion | 0:07:12 | 0:07:16 | |
of phase one of the Brexit talks, No
10's view, and I think it is agreed | 0:07:16 | 0:07:21 | |
with, not by everyone certainly in
Whitehall, but it is quite a | 0:07:21 | 0:07:25 | |
commonly held view now, that the
government although not the silly | 0:07:25 | 0:07:28 | |
strong, if not necessarily full of
authority, has at least reached a | 0:07:28 | 0:07:33 | |
place of more peace and stability --
not necessarily strong. Having said | 0:07:33 | 0:07:38 | |
that, Damian Green's departure will
be something that counts to Theresa | 0:07:38 | 0:07:42 | |
May. It is clear she will try and
keep him, having sought a second | 0:07:42 | 0:07:47 | |
opinion on the initial report put
forward to her to Whitehall | 0:07:47 | 0:07:50 | |
officials. But this is not
necessarily a catastrophic blow. She | 0:07:50 | 0:07:55 | |
will miss his counsel and his advice
and his support but Theresa May has | 0:07:55 | 0:08:02 | |
been through an awful what in the
last 12 months and it may well be | 0:08:02 | 0:08:05 | |
that before too long his departure
doesn't seem like it turned out to | 0:08:05 | 0:08:11 | |
be a very big deal. But on the face
of it, losing her second most | 0:08:11 | 0:08:15 | |
important ally in Westminster is
certainly a serious blow. Laura, | 0:08:15 | 0:08:21 | |
many thanks once again for the
latest analysis from Westminster, | 0:08:21 | 0:08:25 | |
Laura Kuenssberg. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:27 | |
The Metropolitan Police,
the UK's biggest police force, | 0:08:27 | 0:08:29 | |
has confirmed it's urgently
reviewing dozens of cases of child | 0:08:29 | 0:08:32 | |
abuse, rape and sexual assault,
which are about to go to trial. | 0:08:32 | 0:08:36 | |
It follows the admission that police
and prosecutors made | 0:08:36 | 0:08:38 | |
mistakes in two rape cases,
which collapsed in the past week, | 0:08:38 | 0:08:40 | |
because of a failure
to disclose vital evidence. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:42 | |
Our legal affairs correspondent
Clive Coleman reports. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:50 | |
Are the scales of justice being
unfairly tipped against defendants | 0:08:50 | 0:08:53 | |
because the police are not sharing
evidence that could help their case? | 0:08:53 | 0:08:56 | |
One of the founding principles
of the criminal justice system | 0:08:56 | 0:08:58 | |
is beset by problems. | 0:08:58 | 0:09:02 | |
Isaac Itiary spent four months
in jail awaiting trial on charges | 0:09:02 | 0:09:09 | |
of sexual activity with a child,
which he strongly denied. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:12 | |
The case against him was dropped
yesterday when text messages | 0:09:12 | 0:09:16 | |
from his alleged teenage victim's
phone showed she routinely | 0:09:16 | 0:09:20 | |
lied about her age. | 0:09:20 | 0:09:22 | |
A few days earlier, the case
against Liam Allan was stopped | 0:09:22 | 0:09:26 | |
because text messages
showed his alleged victim had | 0:09:26 | 0:09:28 | |
enjoyed having sex with him. | 0:09:28 | 0:09:33 | |
The last two years I have
spent worrying and not | 0:09:33 | 0:09:36 | |
concentrated on anything,
so it has completely ripped | 0:09:36 | 0:09:38 | |
apart my normal personal life. | 0:09:38 | 0:09:42 | |
The Metropolitan Police is now
carrying out a review | 0:09:42 | 0:09:47 | |
into what happened to Liam Allan,
and all the evidence | 0:09:47 | 0:09:49 | |
in all of its current rape
and sex abuse cases. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:52 | |
That review is being conducted
jointly with the CPS, | 0:09:52 | 0:09:54 | |
so with the lawyers in each case
and our investigating officers, | 0:09:54 | 0:09:56 | |
to make sure those cases
are safe to go to trial. | 0:09:56 | 0:09:59 | |
Our priority is those 30-something
where trials are about to start. | 0:09:59 | 0:10:02 | |
I have no reason to believe
there are problems with any cases, | 0:10:02 | 0:10:08 | |
but it is a pragmatic step
to conduct that check now. | 0:10:08 | 0:10:13 | |
The police and Crown Prosecution
Service have made huge efforts | 0:10:13 | 0:10:15 | |
in recent years to right the wrongs
of the past and ensure that alleged | 0:10:15 | 0:10:19 | |
victims in rape and sexual assault
cases are treated properly, | 0:10:19 | 0:10:22 | |
but some fear that the process
of disclosing evidence | 0:10:22 | 0:10:26 | |
to the defence has been damaged
as a result. | 0:10:26 | 0:10:31 | |
The Attorney General has started
a review into disclosure. | 0:10:31 | 0:10:36 | |
He thinks part of the problem
is the sheer weight of evidence. | 0:10:36 | 0:10:40 | |
We have very large amounts now
of mostly digital information | 0:10:40 | 0:10:45 | |
in a whole range of trials that it's
very hard to filter it effectively | 0:10:45 | 0:10:50 | |
so you can find the evidence that
ought to be disclosed. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:53 | |
That is a problem we are
encountering in fraud cases, | 0:10:53 | 0:10:58 | |
in terrorism cases but also,
as we have discovered, | 0:10:58 | 0:11:00 | |
in other kinds of case too. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:02 | |
But there have been many damning
reviews of the disclosure | 0:11:02 | 0:11:05 | |
process in recent years,
and some of those working | 0:11:05 | 0:11:07 | |
in the criminal courts believe
the system's integrity | 0:11:07 | 0:11:09 | |
is now under threat. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:12 | |
A real danger here is people can
lose years of their lives locked up | 0:11:12 | 0:11:15 | |
in prison for crimes
they have not committed. | 0:11:15 | 0:11:17 | |
Evidence that could show they have
not committed those crimes, | 0:11:17 | 0:11:20 | |
evidence that could show
they are innocent is not disclosed | 0:11:20 | 0:11:24 | |
to them or their lawyers,
and therefore there are grave | 0:11:24 | 0:11:26 | |
miscarriages of justice. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:28 | |
The prosecution's duty to pass
evidence to the defence | 0:11:28 | 0:11:32 | |
which assists the defence
underpins our justice system. | 0:11:32 | 0:11:36 | |
That duty is now under
scrutiny as never before. | 0:11:36 | 0:11:38 | |
Clive Coleman, BBC News. | 0:11:38 | 0:11:45 | |
The head of the International
Monetary Fund says its economists | 0:11:45 | 0:11:48 | |
were not too gloomy,
in their predictions about Brexit, | 0:11:48 | 0:11:50 | |
and that weaker prospects
for economic growth in the UK, | 0:11:50 | 0:11:53 | |
had underlined their case. | 0:11:53 | 0:11:56 | |
Christine Lagarde was presenting
the IMF's latest report | 0:11:56 | 0:11:58 | |
on the British economy,
which slightly downgrades | 0:11:58 | 0:11:59 | |
the prediction for growth this
year, affected by the weaker pound | 0:11:59 | 0:12:02 | |
and the uncertainty
surrounding Brexit. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:05 | |
Christine Lagarde has been
speaking to our economics | 0:12:05 | 0:12:07 | |
editor Kamal Ahmed. | 0:12:07 | 0:12:10 | |
She came before the
referendum with a warning. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:15 | |
If Britain voted Brexit,
then the economic risks were clear. | 0:12:15 | 0:12:19 | |
It is going to be pretty
bad to very, very bad. | 0:12:19 | 0:12:21 | |
That is what we see. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:24 | |
Today she was back for the first
time since that Brexit vote, | 0:12:24 | 0:12:27 | |
to give her analysis
of where we are now. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:32 | |
Since the start of this year,
growth has slowed notably. | 0:12:32 | 0:12:35 | |
The significant depreciation
of sterling that followed | 0:12:35 | 0:12:40 | |
the referendum has pushed inflation
over 3%, squeezing real incomes. | 0:12:40 | 0:12:42 | |
How do you respond to those critics
who suggest the IMF is simply too | 0:12:42 | 0:12:46 | |
gloomy on the UK economy? | 0:12:46 | 0:12:51 | |
Regrettably, the numbers
that we are seeing the economy | 0:12:55 | 0:12:57 | |
deliver today are actually proving
the point that we made | 0:12:57 | 0:13:03 | |
a year and a half ago,
when people said "You are too gloomy | 0:13:03 | 0:13:06 | |
and you are one of those experts." | 0:13:06 | 0:13:11 | |
Christine Lagarde came
here to the Treasury | 0:13:11 | 0:13:13 | |
to deliver her report -
and, let's be clear, | 0:13:13 | 0:13:15 | |
she wasn't all gloomy. | 0:13:15 | 0:13:18 | |
She said that employment
was at record levels, | 0:13:18 | 0:13:24 | |
and she welcomed progress in those
Brexit negotiations. | 0:13:24 | 0:13:29 | |
But if I was to identify
one big takeout from | 0:13:29 | 0:13:31 | |
the IMF today, it's this. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:35 | |
In a world of growing global growth,
the UK economy has suffered | 0:13:35 | 0:13:38 | |
since the referendum. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:39 | |
The IMF said growth in the first
nine months of the year | 0:13:39 | 0:13:42 | |
was lower than in 2016. | 0:13:42 | 0:13:43 | |
It said that prices had
risen because of the fall | 0:13:43 | 0:13:46 | |
in the value of the pound,
causing a squeeze | 0:13:46 | 0:13:48 | |
on living standards. | 0:13:48 | 0:13:55 | |
And called for a quick agreement
on the transition phase | 0:13:55 | 0:13:58 | |
of the Brexit talks to ease
uncertainty and avoid | 0:13:58 | 0:13:59 | |
crashing out of the EU. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:01 | |
Around the corner in Parliament,
it was the turn of the Governor | 0:14:01 | 0:14:04 | |
of the Bank of England,
also pushing for a free-trade deal, | 0:14:04 | 0:14:06 | |
this time in financial services,
despite grumbles from the EU that | 0:14:06 | 0:14:09 | |
such a thing had never
been achieved before. | 0:14:09 | 0:14:11 | |
I don't accept the argument that
just because it has not been done | 0:14:11 | 0:14:15 | |
in the past it cannot be done
in the future. | 0:14:15 | 0:14:17 | |
We would just walk away
from progress if that | 0:14:17 | 0:14:20 | |
were the approach we took to issues. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:21 | |
The hunt for an agreement goes on,
and firms like this gin manufacturer | 0:14:21 | 0:14:25 | |
in London are keeping plans on ice
until there is greater clarity. | 0:14:25 | 0:14:30 | |
It clearly helps that the pound
is not really strong | 0:14:30 | 0:14:32 | |
and becoming more expensive,
but it is not a major factor. | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
Until it is clear exactly
what is going to happen with Brexit, | 0:14:35 | 0:14:38 | |
it is very difficult to commit
to further investment here, | 0:14:38 | 0:14:40 | |
because if the markets are difficult
to access from the UK, | 0:14:40 | 0:14:43 | |
it will be difficult to justify
spending a lot more money | 0:14:43 | 0:14:46 | |
growing the business. | 0:14:46 | 0:14:51 | |
It is now all about that clarity -
clarity on any deal with the EU, | 0:14:53 | 0:14:57 | |
and clarity on the future of the UK
economy once Brexit has happened. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:00 | |
Kamal Ahmed, BBC News. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:04 | |
Within the past hour, MPs have voted
to fix the precise date and time of | 0:15:14 | 0:15:19 | |
Brexit on the 29th of March 2019,
after which time the Government | 0:15:19 | 0:15:24 | |
hopes for a transition period of
around two years. But today the | 0:15:24 | 0:15:31 | |
chief negotiator of the EU says it
should last no longer until the end | 0:15:31 | 0:15:36 | |
of 2020, giving 21 months to adjust
to trading arrangements. Let's speak | 0:15:36 | 0:15:41 | |
to Adam Fleming in Brussels. Is
there any sign of conflict between | 0:15:41 | 0:15:45 | |
what Mr Barnier is saying and what
the Government in London are saying? | 0:15:45 | 0:15:49 | |
There is a little bit. This is no
great surprise in Brussels, Mr | 0:15:49 | 0:15:54 | |
Barnier says this is a logical end
point for the transition period, 21 | 0:15:54 | 0:15:58 | |
months after Brexit day happens in
March 20 19. That is because at the | 0:15:58 | 0:16:04 | |
end of December 2020, that is the
close of the EU's seven year-long | 0:16:04 | 0:16:08 | |
budget cycle which we are in at the
moment. Mr Barnier says this is a | 0:16:08 | 0:16:13 | |
logical end point for this
transition period, a period where | 0:16:13 | 0:16:16 | |
the UK will be expected to follow
European rules and regulations and | 0:16:16 | 0:16:20 | |
new ones without having a seat at
the decision-making table. Mrs May | 0:16:20 | 0:16:25 | |
prefers to call it an implementation
period and has asked for around two | 0:16:25 | 0:16:31 | |
years, a little bit longer than what
Mr Barnier is offering. Speaking to | 0:16:31 | 0:16:35 | |
a group of senior MPs today the
Prime Minister said it is something | 0:16:35 | 0:16:38 | |
to be discussed. The other thing we
disagree about is when there will be | 0:16:38 | 0:16:41 | |
a trade deal. Mrs May says it should
be signed, sealed and delivered by | 0:16:41 | 0:16:45 | |
the start of the transition, Mr
Barnier says that the point of the | 0:16:45 | 0:16:49 | |
transition deal is to get it
negotiated them. Thank you, Adam | 0:16:49 | 0:16:52 | |
Fleming. | 0:16:52 | 0:16:54 | |
For the first time in its history,
the European Commission has | 0:16:54 | 0:16:57 | |
threatened a member state
with the loss of its | 0:16:57 | 0:16:59 | |
EU voting rights. | 0:16:59 | 0:17:00 | |
It's started disciplinary
measures against Poland, | 0:17:00 | 0:17:02 | |
accusing the government
of undermining the independence | 0:17:02 | 0:17:03 | |
of the country's judges. | 0:17:03 | 0:17:05 | |
Polish ministers have dismissed
the Commission's actions | 0:17:05 | 0:17:07 | |
as politically motivated. | 0:17:07 | 0:17:10 | |
President Trump says he's delivering
what he's called a "big, beautiful | 0:17:12 | 0:17:14 | |
tax cut" for Americans this
Christmas. | 0:17:14 | 0:17:17 | |
The tax reforms, passed this
evening in Congress, | 0:17:17 | 0:17:20 | |
represent the first major
legislative victory for Mr Trump | 0:17:20 | 0:17:22 | |
after nearly a year in office. | 0:17:22 | 0:17:26 | |
The reforms will dramatically cut
tax for US corporations, | 0:17:26 | 0:17:28 | |
but at a cost to the Treasury -
as our North America | 0:17:28 | 0:17:31 | |
editor Jon Sopel reports. | 0:17:31 | 0:17:36 | |
If this was a smile-
off, it would be hard to decide | 0:17:40 | 0:17:43 | |
who had the biggest grin,
a real toss-up between | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
the President, his number two
and the leaders of the house | 0:17:46 | 0:17:48 | |
and the Senate. | 0:17:48 | 0:17:50 | |
Finally, just days before Christmas,
Donald Trump has notched | 0:17:50 | 0:17:52 | |
up his first legislative victory. | 0:17:52 | 0:17:57 | |
Pleased? | 0:17:57 | 0:17:58 | |
He was over the moon. | 0:17:58 | 0:18:02 | |
We broke every record. | 0:18:03 | 0:18:05 | |
It's the largest, I always
say the most massive, | 0:18:05 | 0:18:08 | |
but it's the largest tax-cut,
in the history of our country, | 0:18:08 | 0:18:11 | |
and reform, but tax-cut. | 0:18:11 | 0:18:15 | |
Really something special. | 0:18:15 | 0:18:18 | |
And then the oh so familiar refrain. | 0:18:18 | 0:18:21 | |
We are making America great again. | 0:18:21 | 0:18:25 | |
You haven't heard that, have you? | 0:18:25 | 0:18:28 | |
And Republicans from both houses
of Congress came to celebrate the | 0:18:28 | 0:18:31 | |
changes, changes that will be felt
on both sides of the Atlantic. | 0:18:31 | 0:18:35 | |
A buoyant US economy
ripples out a long way. | 0:18:35 | 0:18:39 | |
So what does the Republican
tax bill involve? | 0:18:39 | 0:18:42 | |
Corporation tax will come
down from 35% to 21%, | 0:18:42 | 0:18:45 | |
a huge boost to corporate America
that the president says will | 0:18:45 | 0:18:48 | |
lead to more jobs and higher wages. | 0:18:48 | 0:18:52 | |
Individual tax rates will be reduced
although the wealthy will benefit | 0:18:52 | 0:18:54 | |
far more than blue-collar America,
Donald Trump's base. | 0:18:54 | 0:19:00 | |
The legislation will add
over $1 trillion to | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
America's debt, even though many
Republicans came into office vowing | 0:19:03 | 0:19:05 | |
to slash the deficit. | 0:19:05 | 0:19:10 | |
Democrats, though,
are unanimous in their | 0:19:10 | 0:19:12 | |
opposition to the proposals. | 0:19:12 | 0:19:13 | |
Now we know they are popping
champagne down Pennsylvania Avenue. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:18 | |
There are only two places
where America is popping champagne. | 0:19:18 | 0:19:23 | |
The White House and the corporate
boardrooms, including Trump Tower. | 0:19:23 | 0:19:28 | |
Otherwise Americans
have a lot to regret. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:33 | |
An opinion poll suggested
a clear majority of | 0:19:33 | 0:19:35 | |
Americans think the same. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:36 | |
This is a tax cut for the already
rich, not for them. | 0:19:36 | 0:19:40 | |
That prompted this question to
the Republican leader of the Senate. | 0:19:40 | 0:19:43 | |
How easy will this
measure be to sell? | 0:19:43 | 0:19:46 | |
My view of this, if we can't sell
this to the American people, | 0:19:46 | 0:19:49 | |
we ought to go into another
line of work. | 0:19:49 | 0:19:51 | |
Selling this tax reform
package will be for 2018 | 0:19:51 | 0:19:53 | |
but as 2017 draws to a close,
Donald Trump can reflect | 0:19:53 | 0:19:56 | |
that he has got his tax
reform proposals through. | 0:19:56 | 0:20:02 | |
The stock market is soaring. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:03 | |
His Supreme Court pick is in place. | 0:20:03 | 0:20:05 | |
Regulations are being torn up. | 0:20:05 | 0:20:08 | |
It may not have always been pretty
but Donald Trump is sort of doing | 0:20:08 | 0:20:12 | |
what he promised he would do. | 0:20:12 | 0:20:15 | |
Jon Sopel, BBC News, Washington. | 0:20:15 | 0:20:20 | |
Catalans have been observing
an official day of reflection before | 0:20:20 | 0:20:22 | |
a vital regional election tomorrow. | 0:20:22 | 0:20:26 | |
The vote is intended to resolve
a stand-off between the Spanish | 0:20:26 | 0:20:28 | |
government and the campaigners
who unilaterally declared Catalan | 0:20:28 | 0:20:30 | |
independence in October. | 0:20:30 | 0:20:35 | |
All indications are that the result
will be very close. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:38 | |
Two of the main independence leaders
can't vote in person - | 0:20:38 | 0:20:40 | |
including the ousted Catalan
government leader Carles | 0:20:40 | 0:20:45 | |
Puigdemont, who's in effect
in exile in Brussels. | 0:20:45 | 0:20:47 | |
Live to Barcelona tonight and our
correspondent James Reynolds. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:55 | |
The election on the eve of the poll
appears to be evenly divided between | 0:20:55 | 0:21:01 | |
its two rival camps,
pro-independence and pro-Spain. The | 0:21:01 | 0:21:05 | |
pro-independence movement wants to
try to win back the power it lost | 0:21:05 | 0:21:08 | |
when direct rule was imposed two
months ago. To do so, it has decided | 0:21:08 | 0:21:14 | |
to change tactics. | 0:21:14 | 0:21:16 | |
Pro-independence supporters
are planning a revival... | 0:21:16 | 0:21:22 | |
And a new strategy. | 0:21:24 | 0:21:28 | |
Declaring unilateral independence
in October simply got their leaders | 0:21:30 | 0:21:32 | |
sacked and even jailed. | 0:21:32 | 0:21:38 | |
The deposed regional president
Carles Puigdemont now campaigns | 0:21:38 | 0:21:40 | |
from exile in Belgium. | 0:21:40 | 0:21:45 | |
So this time, if they win, they
promise no more unilateral steps. | 0:21:45 | 0:21:51 | |
If you win, will you make another
effort to declare independence? | 0:21:52 | 0:21:59 | |
TRANSLATION: We are the people
of dialogue, of agreement. | 0:21:59 | 0:22:02 | |
The problem with the
Spanish Government is | 0:22:02 | 0:22:04 | |
that it is extremely weak. | 0:22:04 | 0:22:07 | |
The strong come to an agreement,
the weak impose their will. | 0:22:07 | 0:22:11 | |
This election will test
which side is stronger, | 0:22:11 | 0:22:16 | |
pro-independence or pro-Spain. | 0:22:16 | 0:22:20 | |
Unlike the disputed referendum
in October, this time | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
both sides will vote. | 0:22:23 | 0:22:27 | |
The pro-Spain camp wants to use this
election to block any more | 0:22:27 | 0:22:30 | |
attempts to break away. | 0:22:30 | 0:22:34 | |
The most powerful pro-Spain voice
belongs to Ines Arrimadas... | 0:22:36 | 0:22:42 | |
The local leader of
a party called Citizens. | 0:22:43 | 0:22:47 | |
She addresses her final campaign
rally in Spanish, not Catalan. | 0:22:47 | 0:22:52 | |
Why do you oppose independence? | 0:22:52 | 0:22:54 | |
Because our future is inside Spain
and inside the European Union. | 0:22:54 | 0:22:58 | |
We don't have any future
outside the European Union | 0:22:58 | 0:23:00 | |
and outside our country. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:04 | |
Because Catalonia is our homeland,
Spain is our country | 0:23:04 | 0:23:06 | |
and Europe is our future. | 0:23:06 | 0:23:11 | |
Months of crisis are now marked
by a single election. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:16 | |
Vote by vote, Catalonia
will count its divide. | 0:23:16 | 0:23:19 | |
James Reynolds, BBC News, Barcelona. | 0:23:19 | 0:23:23 | |
Britain's most valuable company,
Shell, and the Italian oil company, | 0:23:25 | 0:23:27 | |
Eni, have been been ordered
to stand trial in Italy, | 0:23:27 | 0:23:30 | |
in what has been described as one
of the biggest corporate corruption | 0:23:30 | 0:23:33 | |
cases in history. | 0:23:33 | 0:23:37 | |
The companies and several
senior officials face | 0:23:37 | 0:23:38 | |
allegations in connection
with a deal in Nigeria. | 0:23:38 | 0:23:41 | |
The oil firms and the individuals
deny any wrongdoing. | 0:23:41 | 0:23:45 | |
The trial in Italy is expected
to start in March next year. | 0:23:45 | 0:23:53 | |
The acute volatility in the value
of the digital currency bitcoin | 0:23:53 | 0:23:56 | |
does not pose a threat to global
financial stability, | 0:23:56 | 0:23:58 | |
according to the Bank
of England Governor Mark Carney. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:00 | |
Bitcoin, which is traded online
and is not regulated | 0:24:00 | 0:24:03 | |
by any authorities,
has rocketed in value | 0:24:03 | 0:24:05 | |
in recent months. | 0:24:05 | 0:24:07 | |
Those lucky enough to own one
will know that it's currently worth | 0:24:07 | 0:24:10 | |
nearly £12,000. | 0:24:10 | 0:24:12 | |
But some are warning
the bubble is set to burst, | 0:24:12 | 0:24:14 | |
as our technology correspondent
Rory Cellan-Jones explains. | 0:24:14 | 0:24:21 | |
Their wrists and flash photography
in this report. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:26 | |
It is either the digital currency
which is the future of money or a | 0:24:26 | 0:24:30 | |
dangerous bubble built on hype. --
there is some flash photography. | 0:24:30 | 0:24:35 | |
But the value of bitcoin has soared
more than threefold this year. And | 0:24:35 | 0:24:39 | |
Alessandra Sollberger is one of the
few people who has made serious | 0:24:39 | 0:24:43 | |
money from it. As you can see, in
2012 it was about $9, that was for | 0:24:43 | 0:24:50 | |
around 400 bitcoins. And fast
forwarding we are at about $18,000. | 0:24:50 | 0:24:55 | |
She's sold a lot of her coins to
fund her nutrition business but | 0:24:55 | 0:24:59 | |
still has a feud. You have a dozen
or so, what is that worth? One | 0:24:59 | 0:25:05 | |
bitcoin is worth around $18,000, so
you do the maths. That sort of story | 0:25:05 | 0:25:11 | |
has sparked a gold rush. At this
London cafe there is a bitcoin cash | 0:25:11 | 0:25:17 | |
machine, you put in £20 notes and a
tiny fraction of a bitcoin is | 0:25:17 | 0:25:22 | |
transferred to your phone. What
happens to you if they all go to | 0:25:22 | 0:25:25 | |
nothing tomorrow? I'm holding, I
will hold it. I have faith it will | 0:25:25 | 0:25:32 | |
all go back up, even if it collapses
I will hold it. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:37 | |
Unlike a normal currency, bitcoin is
not controlled by any central bank | 0:25:37 | 0:25:41 | |
or governments. Instead it depends
on a network of computers which all | 0:25:41 | 0:25:45 | |
record any transactions. You hold it
in what is called a wallet on your | 0:25:45 | 0:25:49 | |
phone or computer with a unique
address allowing you to send or | 0:25:49 | 0:25:52 | |
receive bitcoin. New bitcoin are
created in a process called mining | 0:25:52 | 0:25:59 | |
involving computers solving
increasingly complex problems. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:02 | |
Back at the cafe, this is one of the
very few places you can actually | 0:26:02 | 0:26:07 | |
spend bitcoin. Actually as bitcoin
saws and value it is becoming less | 0:26:07 | 0:26:11 | |
and less useful as a currency. Why
would you spend it today when it | 0:26:11 | 0:26:14 | |
will be worth a lot more tomorrow,
so goes the thinking. So maybe for | 0:26:14 | 0:26:19 | |
the same amount of bitcoin next week
I could buy two cakes. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:23 | |
That is one reason many are
sceptical about bitcoin. David | 0:26:23 | 0:26:26 | |
Gerard has studied and written about
it for six years. | 0:26:26 | 0:26:30 | |
It is the irrational exuberance
phase of a bubble. This is that | 0:26:30 | 0:26:36 | |
economic bubbles work, people buy
close others are, assuming they can | 0:26:36 | 0:26:39 | |
always sell it and get rich. When
the bubble pops, when, not if, it | 0:26:39 | 0:26:43 | |
will be a disaster for many. Ever
more energy is used by bust banks of | 0:26:43 | 0:26:51 | |
computers mining bitcoin like these
in Russia. One more reason to wonder | 0:26:51 | 0:26:54 | |
whether this financial experiment
has a sustainable future. | 0:26:54 | 0:27:01 | |
Let's talk about the football, it
has been a great night for Bristol | 0:27:01 | 0:27:04 | |
city, who have sealed a memorable
victory over premiership giants | 0:27:04 | 0:27:07 | |
Manchester United.
This injury time winner from Corey | 0:27:07 | 0:27:12 | |
Smith saw them through 2-1. They
will play either Manchester City, | 0:27:12 | 0:27:17 | |
Arsenal or Chelsea for a in the
final. Mutch a place in the final. | 0:27:17 | 0:27:25 | |
Life expectancy across the globe
is continuing to rise, | 0:27:25 | 0:27:27 | |
prompting scientists to ask how long
people might live in the future. | 0:27:27 | 0:27:30 | |
Most think we will see
gradual gains in longevity, | 0:27:30 | 0:27:32 | |
but there have been predictions that
anti-ageing drugs could eventually | 0:27:32 | 0:27:35 | |
allow people to live for centuries. | 0:27:35 | 0:27:37 | |
In the last of his special reports
on so-called super-agers, | 0:27:37 | 0:27:40 | |
our medical correspondent
Fergus Walsh has been | 0:27:40 | 0:27:41 | |
to California and Arizona. | 0:27:41 | 0:27:46 | |
I like to do things. | 0:27:49 | 0:27:50 | |
I don't want to sit
in the background. | 0:27:50 | 0:27:53 | |
Enthusiastic, engaged, optimistic. | 0:27:54 | 0:27:58 | |
Lester Dray is 101. | 0:27:58 | 0:28:00 | |
The oldest resident
at this retirement village | 0:28:00 | 0:28:02 | |
in Sun City, Arizona. | 0:28:02 | 0:28:06 | |
You're going to miss something
if you just moan and groan | 0:28:06 | 0:28:08 | |
about how horrible life is. | 0:28:08 | 0:28:11 | |
Show me your teeth. | 0:28:11 | 0:28:14 | |
Do you hear a sound? | 0:28:14 | 0:28:15 | |
Say ahhh... | 0:28:15 | 0:28:16 | |
Ahhh. | 0:28:16 | 0:28:17 | |
He gets regular medical checks,
as part of a study into longevity. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:21 | |
It's an issue which is attracting
interest from unusual quarters. | 0:28:21 | 0:28:27 | |
In Silicon Valley, California,
some of the biggest names, | 0:28:27 | 0:28:29 | |
from Google to Facebook,
are investing hundreds of millions | 0:28:29 | 0:28:33 | |
of dollars into defeating
the diseases of ageing. | 0:28:33 | 0:28:39 | |
So why are tech entrepreneurs
suddenly interested in human health? | 0:28:39 | 0:28:44 | |
I think Silicon Valley
is driven by curiosity. | 0:28:44 | 0:28:47 | |
That same curiosity that drives
a 14-year-old to programme computers | 0:28:47 | 0:28:50 | |
in his bedroom drives somebody
in their 20s or 30s | 0:28:50 | 0:28:52 | |
to really apply their minds
and their cash to this problem. | 0:28:52 | 0:28:57 | |
The DNA from the special
part of the cell called | 0:28:57 | 0:28:59 | |
the mitochondrion... | 0:28:59 | 0:29:00 | |
It is why this British scientist set
up in Silicon Valley. | 0:29:00 | 0:29:04 | |
Aubrey de Grey is probably
the world's leading advocate | 0:29:04 | 0:29:07 | |
of life extension -
the idea that humans can | 0:29:07 | 0:29:09 | |
and will live in good health
for hundreds of years. | 0:29:09 | 0:29:14 | |
There will certainly be no limit
on how long people can live once | 0:29:14 | 0:29:17 | |
we bring ageing under control. | 0:29:17 | 0:29:19 | |
People will still die,
there are still trucks | 0:29:19 | 0:29:21 | |
to be hit by and so on. | 0:29:21 | 0:29:23 | |
But the fact is people will,
on average, live a lot longer | 0:29:23 | 0:29:26 | |
unless there is some bizarre thing
like we get hit by an | 0:29:26 | 0:29:29 | |
asteroid or whatever. | 0:29:29 | 0:29:30 | |
That's beautiful! | 0:29:30 | 0:29:31 | |
That's a minority view. | 0:29:31 | 0:29:33 | |
Although extending life
is possible in the lab, | 0:29:33 | 0:29:35 | |
with fruit flies, yeast or worms,
it gets more difficult higher up | 0:29:35 | 0:29:38 | |
the evolutionary ladder. | 0:29:38 | 0:29:42 | |
So in the lab in simple
laboratory animals, we can | 0:29:42 | 0:29:45 | |
increase life span by 100%,
200, 500%, really extraordinary | 0:29:45 | 0:29:48 | |
differences in life span. | 0:29:48 | 0:29:52 | |
It turns out ageing is really
plastic in the simple | 0:29:52 | 0:29:54 | |
laboratory animals. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:55 | |
It may be more complex
as we go over to mammals. | 0:29:55 | 0:29:58 | |
The mouse, for example,
we have been able to increase | 0:29:58 | 0:30:00 | |
life span 20 or 30%. | 0:30:00 | 0:30:02 | |
And we really do not
know what is possible | 0:30:02 | 0:30:04 | |
for humans at this point. | 0:30:04 | 0:30:05 | |
We do know exercise
is a magic formula that can | 0:30:05 | 0:30:07 | |
keep us healthy longer. | 0:30:07 | 0:30:11 | |
And there are no drugs
yet to match it. | 0:30:11 | 0:30:15 | |
There is probably an upper
limit to life expectancy | 0:30:15 | 0:30:17 | |
of around 115 years. | 0:30:17 | 0:30:21 | |
So the quest for immortality is
still the stuff of science fiction. | 0:30:21 | 0:30:26 | |
But increasing our health span,
the number of years we spend free | 0:30:26 | 0:30:29 | |
of chronic diseases,
well that really could be a reality. | 0:30:29 | 0:30:34 | |
Here we go! | 0:30:34 | 0:30:35 | |
# Jingle bell, jingle
bell, jingle bell rock! | 0:30:35 | 0:30:41 | |
Finding something you enjoy
and staying socially engaged are key | 0:30:41 | 0:30:43 | |
elements of healthy ageing. | 0:30:43 | 0:30:48 | |
Like the Sun City Poms, many
of whom are in their 70s and 80s. | 0:30:48 | 0:30:55 | |
I'm 78. | 0:30:55 | 0:30:57 | |
Born on the 4th of July. | 0:30:57 | 0:30:58 | |
So I'm still a firecracker,
still going and booming. | 0:30:58 | 0:31:02 | |
It keeps me physically active,
it keeps my brain working | 0:31:02 | 0:31:05 | |
and helps my memory. | 0:31:05 | 0:31:09 | |
We just get out there and do
what we need to do and enjoy. | 0:31:09 | 0:31:14 | |
We can't slow time but we can put
more life in our years | 0:31:14 | 0:31:17 | |
and hopefully become super-agers. | 0:31:17 | 0:31:21 | |
Fergus Walsh, BBC News,
Sun City, Arizona. | 0:31:21 | 0:31:30 | |
And all three of Fergus' reports
on how we're living longer and life | 0:31:30 | 0:31:33 | |
expectancy in the future
can be found online. | 0:31:33 | 0:31:35 | |
Just go to bbc.co.uk/ten. | 0:31:35 | 0:31:42 | |
A reminder of our top story tonight. | 0:31:44 | 0:31:47 | |
The First Secretary of State, | 0:31:47 | 0:31:48 | |
Damian Green - one of Theresa May's
closest allies - has | 0:31:48 | 0:31:51 | |
resigned from the Cabinet
after an investigation found he had | 0:31:51 | 0:31:53 | |
breached the ministerial code. | 0:31:53 | 0:32:03 |