28/11/2015 BBC Weekend News

The government minister Grant Shapps has resigned over claims he failed

to act against alleged bullying within the Conservative party.

Mr Shapps is said to have ignored warnings while Party Chairman

about the head of the youth wing, Mark Clarke, who was expelled

earlier this month, after the apparent suicide of young activist.

In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Grant Shapps

said although he had no record of allegations reaching his office,

Here's our Political Correspondent Carole Walker.

As Conservative Party chairman, Grant Shapps was responsible for

running the party machine and overseeing campaigns, including the

successful general election battle earlier this year. Now he's resigned

as a government minister over claims he fails to act on allegations about

the behaviour of this man, Mark Clark, former candidate who ran a

youth campaign group. Mr Clarke has been expelled from the Tory party

but denies all the allegations against him. An internal

investigation is under way into the death in September of Elliot

Johnson, our young activists Britton a young activist who claimed he was

bullied by Mark Clarke. Grant Shapps said though he could find no record

of allegations of bullying, sexual abuse or blackmail referred to his

office... the Prime Minister in Malta said his

thoughts and prayers were with Elliot Johnson's family. What I'd

say is that it is a tragic loss of a talented young life. It's not

something any parent should have to go through. I feel for them deeply.

What the Conservative Party must do, what it is doing, what I ensure it

is happening, is that there is a proper investigation. Elliot

Johnson, who was 21, was found dead on railway tracks on the 15th of

September. His death is being investigated by the coroner. His

father welcomed Mr Schaap 's's designation but told us questions

remain over how the party dealt with his son's death. I'm pleased Mr

Schaap 's has made this decision, it's taken an awful long time for

him to make that decision, but I'm glad he has fallen on his own sword.

We have to remember that Grant Shapps was only co-chairmen, there's

another co-chairman who takes full responsibility for what's been

happening in the organisation. Downing Street say the current

chairman has the full confidence of the Prime Minister but Labour say

the Conservative Party needs to come clean about who knew what and why no

action was taken earlier. Carole Walker, does Grant Shapps's

resignation draw a line under this affair? The difficulty for the

Conservative Party is you've not just got his political opponents,

but as you heard, the father of Elliot Johnson, saying he still

feels others have questions to be answered. The Conservative Party are

saying there is this investigation going on, it's being headed by an

independent lawyer. And he will look at all of these things, all these

questions about how the allegations were dealt with. I understand they

are talking to some 40 witnesses, but that inquiry won't be concluded,

no report published, until a separate investigation being carried

out by a coroner into Elliot Johnson's death. It may be quite

some time until all of this is resolved. This is clearly an

unwarranted but serious distraction for David Cameron, as he's dealing

with huge international issues, but he knows this has to be dealt with

seriously and thoroughly if the party is to put it behind them.

Government ministers are spending part of their weekend ringing

Labour MPs to try to build support for British air strikes in Syria.

The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is opposed to British

involvement, is also asking party members for their views.

Labour remains deeply divided over military action.

A series of protests have taken place

across the country today, opposing UK involvement in air strikes.

A shooting at a clinic that carries out abortions in Colorado Springs

in the US has left two civilians and a police officer dead, with

Nine other people were injured during the standoff at the clinic,

which lasted five hours, before the suspect surrendered.

It's run by the group Planned Parenthood, which has

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country is

"truly saddened" by the downing of the Russian warplane and he said he

It's the first expression of regret since Tuesday's incident

in which an SU-24 was brought down by two Turkish fighter jets.

Turkey claimed the bomber had violated its airspace.

Russia's conducting extensive attacks on militant targets

The Queen has completed a three day visit to Malta.

At a banquet for leaders of Commonwealth countries, she

joked that Canada's young new leader made her feel old, when he spoke

Our Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell reports from Valletta.

Thank you, Mr Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old.

LAUGHTER It was an unscripted aside to Commonwealth leaders.

Elizabeth II, Queen, head of the Commonwealth, still doing her

But with advancing years come questions about the future and, for

The Princess and the Duke meet in the George Cross Island and pose

Malta is the only country apart from Britain

which has been her home, for nearly two years, in the early 1950s.

Today, then, was a day for nostalgia.

Visiting Malta is always very special for me, I remember happy

days here with Prince Philip when we were first married.

She gazed out again at Valletta harbour.

A moment for reflection, perhaps, for someone who will never step

back from her role as mono, but who is ready, it appears, to

delegate more of her Commonwealth duties to her eldest son.

She boarded a boat to take her across the harbour.

The bells of Malta's capital city rang out.

And there were cheers from the crew of HMS Bulwark, all in her honour.

There's a very real sense of a wheel turning full circle,

of at least the Commonwealth component of the Queen's duties

The next Commonwealth summit will be in the United Kingdom in the spring

of 2018, when the sense of transition from Elizabeth to Charles

Tennis - and Great Britain are just a point away from lifting the

Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years - after brothers Andy

and Jamie Murray won their doubles match this afternoon in Belgium.

Straight now to our Sports Correspondent, Joe Wilson,

The spectators heading home, may be heading to a bar, might have felt

they saw some decisive action in the Davis Cup final, Britain are 2-1 up

with two matches and two points available tomorrow, the first to

three wins it. The whole of British tennis has good reason to thank one

Scottish family. The Murray brothers are individuals

who grew up spurred on by a natural I think you're more shrewd with

that, Yes, more of a loser often as well,

unfortunately. Doubles is a team event, of course,

but sometimes one player takes In the opening exchanges

it was often Andy. That is what

the Davis Cup can do to you. Britain came back down to earth

in the second set when Jamie's serve was broken decisively

and the experimental Belgian pair of The second set to Belgium

and the noise in here reaches The home crowd's attempt to promote

their men was undeniably impressive and a bit surreal, but one player

really stood out in this match. In the third set,

Andy Murray held his serve whilst The fourth set,

Andy Murray's service game, love-30, under pressure,

well here is a way to escape. The Belgian pair could not

consistently compete at the Murrays' Darcis in particular making errors,

including the final one. This victory puts Britain

on the brink. To take the Davis Cup they must win

one of the two singles matches you can see more on all of those

stories