27/11/2011 BBC Weekend News

The Chancellor confirms the Government will guarantee up to �40

billion in loans to businesses. George Osborne prepares for a major

announcement on the economy saying there will be no backing down on

the deficit. We are absolutely going to stick to that plan because

that is what is helping Britain weather this international debt

storm. Tributes are paid to the Wales

football manager Gary Speed, who's been found dead at his home.

Two crewmen from a stricken cargo boat are rescued off the North

Wales coast, but five are still missing.

And a cruel deflection gives Liverpool a point against

Good evening. The Chancellor has confirmed that the Government is

prepared to underwrite up to �40 billion in bank lending to small

businesses - double what was previously thought. It comes as

George Osborne prepares his Autumn Statement on the economy, which

will be unveiled on Tuesday. Labour says the plan doesn't go far enough

and that more measures to boost growth are needed. Here's our

business editor Robert Peston. What's this, Armistice in the UK's

bloodiest political war? The bitterest enemies share a laugh on

the BBC sofa, so is the UK economy in such dire straits that the

Chancellor and Shadow Chancellor have buried the hatchet? No,

they're still still divided on how best to revive the weakening

economy. Although George Osborne is set to announce on Tuesday that

growth next year will be around 1%, a fraction of what he hoped for in

March, he's not for turning on spending cuts and tax rises.

have got a deficit reduction plan that has brought us record low

interest rates, that's earned us that triple A credit rating and we

are going to stick to that plan because that's what is helping

Britain weather this international debt storm and is also helping us

lay the foundations of a stronger economy. If a Chancellor hasn't big

money to spend he has come up with a policy called credit easing to

help small businesses spin and invest. He is helping banks borrow

�20 billion cheaply by telling the banks creditors that the Treasury

will guarantee they'll get their money back. The banks will have to

pass all this pods 20 billion to -- all this �20 billion to small

businesses. But while loans may be cheaper,

it's not clear there will be more credit for growing businesses like

this London property maintenance firm. For a progressive and

profitable business like ours, not having that funding available has

meant that any plans that we have for growth, development and

national expansion have been seriously thawarted. The turmoil of

Athens, Rome and other financially overstretched parts of the eurozone,

the risk of meltdown is deterring even British consumers and

businesses from spending which is one reason why the Shadow

Chancellor thinks the British economy needs more than cheap loans

to avoid a new recession. Why is our economy not growing? Why are

firms not borrowing? Why is confidence slumping? Because the

Government's fundamental strategy isn't working. But could the

Chancellor and Shadow Chancellor be edging towards an entente?

believe Ed has good motives, we are both trying to get the British

economy going. We have always got on well, he is good although his

job and he is a good politician, but he's made one big judgment

wrong. In his judgment that reducing the deficit will be better

for the long-term health of the British economy in cutting taxes or

increasing spending now, George Osborne can't expect endorsement

from his opposite number. Robert Peston is here now. We are

also hearing about money for infrastructure projects, things

like road and rail, how significant do those seem to you? Well, we will

hear I think an important announcement from the Chancellor in

his Autumn Statement on Tuesday, saying that he is going to try and

unlock about �30 billion for investment as you say, in schools,

hospitals, road, rail, broadband, various forms of infrastructure.

That's terribly important for improving the productive potential

of the British economy, making it more competitive. The problem is

that much of that, �25 billion of it, won't be available for years.

Some of it will be very important if he manages to get the money out

of pension funds which over the years haven't invested enough in

that kind of infrastructure. But only �5 billion in total is going

to be be spent in the next 2-3 years and that money is going to be

made available by cuts elsewhere in the Government's budget. So there

will be some, particularly Ed Balls of Labour, saying that the

Government still isn't doing enough to respond to the weakness of the

economy and, therefore, on the the biggest economic, political economy

of our age, how best to revive the economy, Labour and the Government

are still very firmly divided. Thank you.

Alongside Tuesday's Autumn Satement, the Government is also preparing

for the public sector strike on Wednesday with neither side showing

signs of backing down. Our deputy political editor James Landale is

in Downing Street now. Two big moments this week, how much do you

think there is at stake for the Government? There is There is a

huge amount at stake. At stake is the Government's competence, it's

competence to run the economy. Its Its competence to handle those

strikes. Officials here are quite open in saying this is an important

week for the Government. On one level there is a huge battle going

on at the moment for public opinion. You have on the economy the

Government saying that they're going to stick to their plans,

they're going to meet targets. They do have a growth strategy. And you

have Labour saying no, the plan isn't working, borrowing is up,

growth is down, they have to change tack. On the strikes, you have the

Government saying the pension reforms are fair and the unions are

being irresponsible. And you have the unions saying that no, those

pension reforms aren't just and it's the Government that is being

inflexible. This is one of those crucial weeks when voters make up

their minds about who they think is right on the economy and who they

blame for the strikes. I think the conclusions that people draw at the

end of the week will cast a long shadow indeed. Thank you.

Tributes have been paid to the former Wales football manager Gary

Speed who has died suddenly. He was found hanged at his home in Chester.

Police say there are no suspicious circumstances. The 42-year-old was

one of Wales' most capped players, having played 85 times for his

country and became the national manager a year ago. This report

from our sports correspondent Joe Wilson.

For the footballers of his generation Gary Speed was simply

the model professional. For the current players of Wales he was

becoming an inspirational manager. The death of Gary Speed has united

British football in sorrow, and also disbelief. When Swansea City

began their match against Aston Villa this afternoon the news had

only just been announced. Spectators were invited to take

part in a minute's silence. It then turned to applause, and ended in

song. One Gary Speed.

The match took place, but only with emotions raw. Aston Villa's

goalkeeper Shay Given was Speed's friend and former team-mate.

have two men... Many had watched him on television just the day

before, Saturday's Football Focus with Gary Speed, a guest appearing

calm and relaxed. Within 24 hours he had been found dead. Just can't

believe it. He was mymate and he is gone. I have got close to Gary in

the last few years. He's left two gorgeous kids behind, a beautiful

wife. He had everything. He had everything, and just... Don't know

what to say. Newcastle, Bolton, Everton, Gary

Speed won admirers where he went but he made his name at Leeds. He

was part of their championship- winning side in 1992. And today at

Elland Road, as at many other grounds, supporters came to

remember him. I can't believe it. Someone with such great talent that

this has happened, it's unbelievable. What did he mean to

you and this football club? A true legend. He brought us up, played

well. Many goals for us. Gary Speed represents Wales 85

times, a record for an outfield player. In less than a year as the

manager he had already reenergised the side with confidence and

results, so much lay ahead of him. Just what led to his sudden death

is the agonising question which accompanies football's profound

sense of loss. Gary Speed, who has died at the age

of 42. A soldier from 5th Battalion The

Rifles has been killed in Afghanistan. The Ministry of

Defence says he was on foot patrol in Helmand Province when he was

caught in an explosion caused by an improvised device. His family has

been told. A political blogger has been

summoned to appear before the Leveson Inquiry into press

standards after evidence was leaked online. A statement to the Inquiry

given by former No 10 Communications Chief Alastair

Campbell was published by Paul Staines, who operates under the

name Guido Fawkes. It includes speculation that Cherie Blair's

phone may have been hacked. Six people are now feared dead

after a cargo ship ran into trouble in the Irish Sea. Two of the crew

were rescued in the early hours of the morning and a body was

recovered earlier today but five people are still missing. The

search off the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales has been called off for

the night. It's also been confirmed that Prince William was the co-

pilot of one of the rescue helicopters. Colette Hume reports.

This was the moment two of the eight Russian crewmen were spotted

by an RAF search and rescue helicopter. Minutes earlier their

ship had sunk more than 20 miles off the coast of North Wales. The

Sea King battled one of the worst storms of the year to lift the men

to safety. The body of a third crewman was found later. The

helicopter's co-pilot was Prince William, a member of the search and

rescue team. They had five people on deck at the time wearing

survival suits and one of the survivors was actually been here in

the building, told us that there was what he described as an

enormous wave that rolled the ship, she broke her back and obviously

with such a catastrophic failure she sank quickly. This is the cargo

vessel The Swanland. Last year she nearly ran aground off the Cornish

coast. The search was called off shortly before 5.00. Hopes of

finding the men alive are fading fast.

International pressure on Syria's been ratcheted up in a bid to end

the regime's violent crackdown on protestors. In Cairo, foreign

ministers from the Arab League have taken the unprecedented decision to

impose a range of sweeping sanctions, including a ban on

travel for Syrian officials and an embargo on transactions with the

Syrian Central Bank. From Cairo, our Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen

sent this report. Cairo's credentials as the centre

of the Arab world have been challenged in recent years by

Syrian propagandaists. They claim that their capital, not this one,

is the beating heart of Arabism. So there's a hard political irony in

the unprecedented decision taken by the Arab League here in Cairo to

isolate Syria, one of its founder members. When the League got

together around a table it used to produce platitudes, now it's

followed decisive action against Libya in the spring with what could

become a milestone in the decline and fall of the Assad regime.

Significantly, the foreign Minister of Turkey, which has a 900

kilometre frontier with Syria, was with them. The Turks, backing the

Arabs. Tahrir Square is where the Arab League has its headquarters.

The square is so volatile now that the building can't be used. The

meeting was held elsewhere. The big changes in the Middle East this

year are a major reason why the Arab League is taking action. Arab

leaders have to worry much more now about what their own people are

thinking. It is harder for them to ignore the killing of civilians by

the leader of a major Arab country. Pictures continue to come out of

Syria on the web. This is said to be the funeral of a man killed by

regime troops. As they chant, we're not backing down, the procession is

attacked. Someone shouts at the regime's forces are firing. This

looks like a civil war in the making.

GUNFIRE. Syria denies it sets out to kill civilians, and says the

sanctions are part of a western conspiracy. On a bleak night

allegations that Syrian intelligence is trying to silence

the opposition here in Cairo, too. An exiled Syrian journalist says

that after he ignored threatening messages the regime's agents

kidnapped his Egyptian wife, who is pregnant. When she was released 30

hours later she told him her captors had Syrian abg accidents --

accents. They kidnapped her. Cut off her hair, stabbed her in the

right shoulder and they tried to sexually assault her. Then they

drugged her, and threw her into the street. This last week has been

dark and tumultous here in Egypt and across the region. Change

continues and there's no easy way ahead.

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been formally adopted as

the presidential candidate for the ruling party United Russia. It

means he's almost certain to become President again after the elections

in March, a job he did for the eight years up to 2008. But, as

Daniel Sandford reports from Moscow, his popularity is not was it once

was. Marching back towards the top job

after just four years away, Russia's most powerful politician.

He entered the Congress shoulder to shoulder with the man who is making

way for his return to the President seu. Just as many had predicted,

Dmitry Medvedev was keeping the seat warm for Vladimir Putin, while

he stuck to the Russian constitution which only allows two

consecutive terms. TRANSLATION: We believe in justice. Truth is on

our side and victory will be ours. His loyal supporters rose to their

feet, but just a week ago things were very different at a public

event. Vladimir Putin, once almost untouchable, was booed by some of

the crowd at a martial arts fight. While he will almost certainly win

in March, his poll ratings are dropping and his opponents believe

he is looking a little more vulnerable. To be able to win

popular support in this new era of Russian politics you have to offer

some kind of new strategic agenda. This is what he does not. His

agenda is to stick to the old days. But the opposition are battling

against state-controlled television and widespread apathy. This rally

yesterday for fair elections raised fewer than 500 people. So within

six months Vladimir Putin should be back in the Kremlin as President,

and he is likely to be there for six or even 12 years, making him

the longest serving Russian leader for more than half a century.

Time now for the sport. Moving tributes were paid to Gary

Speed at both of today's Premier League matches. Liverpool's Craig

Bellamy was excused from playing against Manchester City at Anfield.

The Wales forward was too upset to take his place in the team after

the death of his international manager. The Liverpool boss Kenny

Dalglish, who once signed Speed as a player, said football becomes

irrelevant at times like this. The match finished in a draw.

The profound sense of loss in British football was there on every

face. Gary Speed's influence stretched across the Premier League,

any team, any any supporter knew him as a model professional. What

else was there to do, but carry on. Manchester City have never failed

to score in the league this season, so the only surprise was that their

goal came from Company. Two minutes later and another unstoppable

finish, that surprised City an own goal. Calm City heads were required.

Never a strong point for Balotelli. He was already on a yellow card and

later he was off, less than 20 minutes after he had come on.

Liverpool gave Carroll ten minutes to win it for them. He very nearly

did. Joe Hart saved the day. City celebrated their point and

Liverpool will take some comfort from that.

City are five Five Points clear of Manchester United in the table.

Spurs the only winners this weekend. Liverpool are above Arsenal on goal

difference. Aston Villa's draw at Swansea study

sees them move up to 8th. Rangers have lost in the Scottish

Premier League for the first time this season. Kilmarnock beat them

1-0 at Rugby Park. Manuel Pascali headed the late winner to give

Killie their first home win over Rangers in 17 years. Rangers had a

12-point lead in the SPL at the start of last weekend, but that is

now down to four from their rivals Celtic.

The Formula One season is over and Red Bull have finished just as they

started, with a win. But not Sebastien Vettel this time. He had

a gearbox problem and came second behind his team-mate Mark Webber.

It was the Australian's first win of the year. Jenson Button sealed

second in the Drivers' Championship by finishing on the podium, but

Lewis Hamilton failed to complete the race because of mechanical

problems. Tennis has reached the end of its

season as well and Roger Federer has won the World Tour Finals at

London's O2 Arena. He was the defending champion, but Frenchman

Jo Wilfred Tsonga made him work very hard for the �1 million first