07/05/2017 BBC Weekend News

Tonight at Ten - the people of France have chosen

their new president, the youngest in the

Celebrations in Paris tonight, as Emmanuel Macron, a strong

supporter of the European Union, wins power at the age of 39,

it will be his first experience of elected office.

TRANSLATION: With total devotion, with total determination,

I'm going to serve France on your behalf.

Long live the Republic and long live France.

It's a night of defeat for the hard right campaign of Marine Le Pen,

but she insists her agenda is now in the mainstream

TRANSLATION: I will be at the head of a battle to gather together,

all those who choose France to protect its independence,

its freedom, its prosperity and its security.

We'll have reaction from Paris and we'll be asking what this result

means for the future of the European Union,

Labour's tax pledge - if it wins the election it

won't raise income tax for anyone earning less than ?80,000 a year.

The Conservatives focus on mental health -

promising another 10,000 staff in England if they're

And a first glimpse of the 82 Nigerian schoolgirls,

kidnapped three years ago and now free after a prisoner swap.

Good evening from Paris, where Emmanuel Macron has

scored a notable victory in today's election.

He'll take office in a week's time as the youngest president

in the history of France, at the age of 39.

He has never held elected office before and his independent political

The margin of victory, after a divisive campaign,

was convincing, projected results show centrist Macron

took 65% of the vote, while the hard-right

The turnout was slightly down on the last presidential

Mr Macron comes to power at a critical moment

not only for France, but also for the European Union,

as it grapples with many challenges, including the Brexit process,

Our first report tonight on the result is by our Europe

There is some flash photography coming up.

Young, dynamic and very, very confident. Emmanuel Macron, said to

be the youngest leader since Napoleon took the crowd by storm. In

the face of extremism, I know there are disagreements and I will respect

this. And I will be faithful to that commitment taken, I will protect the

Republic. This is an incredible moment. An economic and political

world heavyweight comic key EU nation will be presided over by a

39-year-old virtual political new, who has made a lot of big promises.

To bring revolution, to change hungry France and the European

Union. Business friendly, yet socially just, neither left nor

right wing. Sound like a tall order? His delighted supporters have faith.

I am very happy because he is a good choice to keep our valour in France.

We love Europe. He means confidence,

he means the future, France is not dead, France is not

an old country, dying. But easy it won't be, this is a

divided country. Marine Le Pen may have lost an eye, but millions voted

for her and her far right programme. TRANSLATION: I propose to transform

our movement into a new political force, for small French people are

calling for and which is more necessary than ever before to

rebuild our country. I call on all patriots to join us for a decisive,

political battle which begins this evening and we continue in the

months ahead. Far from being defeatist, her supporters were

defiant. You are never happy unless you win, but we have got to look at

the good side of this result. We have gathered around us, people from

outside the party for the protectionist views we have for the

programme of independence put forward. Supporters also took to the

streets tonight, some in a violent mood. For them, Emmanuel Macron is

no solution. He is part of the problem, they think, of elitist, big

business minded government. But the night, I knew French Revolution is

promised with a new president from a brand-new party announcing a new

dawn for France. For his supporters at least, the three colours of the

French flag are not just about liberty, equality and fraternity,

but above all, hope. By any measure, the political

rise of Emmanuel Macron He's a former investment banker,

and served as an adviser and later a minister,

in the Socialist government of Francois Hollande,

the outgoing president. But he resigned last year

to form his own centrist political movement, called En Marche,

or On The Move. Lucy Williamson reports now

on the man chosen to be France's new head of state,

and asks what kind of president he's He's the choice of a country

desperate for change, neither left nor right,

part of the French establishment yet A fresh face who served

in the outgoing government. To his supporters he is their

Emmanuel, their political messiah, a provincial boy from outside

the establishment who But he went to France's most

prestigious schools, met its most powerful people

and made millions in A former colleague says that

Macron's rise is partly down to charm but that at heart,

he is a secretive man. He is able to tell people

what they really want to hear. So a very seducive man

and he manages to agree So a very seducive man

and he managed to agree Macron's wife, Brigitte,

told one journalist that her husband The couple met when she taught

him drama at school. Their unusual love affair is a sign,

says one of Macron's old friends, of his determination,

self-belief and drive. I think the only person who really

knows him inside deeply is Brigitte. You have to imagine, he seduced her,

he convinced her to marry him, Just imagine, it's

not a small thing. France has not opted

for the political extremes, the far right rejected in favour

of a liberal newcomer Emmanuel Macron has vowed to unite

a divided and disillusioned France but his critics say

he is the old wine in a shiny new bottle and the price

of failure could be high. Some say that Emmanuel Macron

has won the presidency by being all things to all people

but he won't be able He has five years to solve France's

problems or risk it choosing more Lucy is with me now. He has talked

about rebuilding a divisive France after the campaign. For those who

voted for him, despite themselves and those who voted for Marine Le

Pen, he is aware he won decisively the night with his liberal vision. A

third of people voted for the far right. If you think back a couple of

weeks to the first round, Mr macron was the first choice for less than a

quarter of the electorate, so he knows he has a lot of work to do. We

have been underlining all day why this result is not just important

for France, but the European Union. It is facing many challenges, not

least the Brexit process coming up. To what extent will the government

of the UK be wanting to talk to him carefully in the months ahead? They

will want to talk to him, he will have a big say because he is a

complete Europhile and wants closer cooperation with the European

countries and the EU. He said some tough things about Brexit, so it

remains to be seen if he follows through on them. He really wants to

build up the economy of France in that way. So Theresa May will want

to talk to him very soon. Lucy Williams, thank you very much.

We'll have more from Paris a little later and we'll be looking

at the campaign promises made by Mr Macron and asking what he's

likely to prioritise when he takes office in a few weeks' time.

But now it's back to Mishal in London.

In election campaigning here, Labour has made a pledge on tax,

saying that if it wins on June the 8th, it wont raise income tax

for anyone earning less than ?80,000 a year.

The Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, said those earning

more than that would be asked to pay "a bit more" to help

The Conservatives say they have no plan to raise income tax but have

so far refused to completely rule it out.

Our political correspondent Ben Wright reports.

It was a slogan used by Tony Blair, now revived

Setting out what he called a big deal to upgrade the economy,

John McDonnell promised not to raise VAT or national insurance

for anyone, but said the top 5% of earners would pay more.

If Labour is elected next month, we will guarantee for the next five

years, there will be no income tax rises, for all those earning less

Labour is now the party of low taxes for middle and lower earners.

Mr McDonnell said people earning more than ?80,000 a year would pay

a modest amount more but the rates and details would have

The Conservatives have promised not to raise VAT but have so far made no

matching pledge on national insurance or income tax.

Today, the Tories said Labour was going back to the past.

They want to raise taxes, they want to penalise business,

they want to penalise wealth creation and I think they will end

up wrecking the economy as they have done in the past.

The total amount of income tax raised in 2016 is

The top 5% of UK earners, Labour's target group for tax rises, paid

just over 47% of that, close to ?80 billion.

You cannot make a really big change to the amount of money

that is available just by focusing on people over 80,000 a year,

partly because they already pay an awful lot of tax and a lot more

than they did a few years ago, but partly because if you really

want significant amounts of money, you have to do something

the politicians don't like doing, which is hit the majority of people,

which is where VAT and the national insurance and a lot of income

You are pledging to increase tax on high earners have to pay

for public services and borrow billions for infrastructure,

but that has been Labour's message since Jeremy Corbyn became leader.

Why do you think it can turn things around for Labour in the last four

weeks of this general election campaign when it seems it

I think there is an opportunity now in the general election campaign

which we have not had before since Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader.

I think we can turn the polls around and I genuinely think we can secure

Many of the bankers and financiers who work here would pay more income

tax under Labour's plan and this is the first general

election for many years, when there is a stark choice

developing between Labour and the Conservatives with how

the economy should be run and how money should be raised and spent.

The Conservatives put the focus on mental health today,

promising to reform the law to reduce discrimination,

and recruit thousands more staff in England.

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said a "lot of new money"

is going into improving England's mental health services

under the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats dismissed

today's pledge as "meaningless rhetoric".

Theresa May has already talked of transforming the way mental

health problems are dealt with across society.

Now there are more details of what she wants to do if she gets

The Conservatives say there are concerns that individuals,

including young people, are detained unnecessarily

in police cells and secure mental health wards,

so the Mental Health Act, which dates back more than 30 years,

If you have a child that has severe mental health problems

and you find that child, instead of being treated by the NHS,

actually ends up in a police cell, it's a terrible thing for the child,

probably make their condition worse, but it's also very bad

But the Liberal Democrats criticised the Conservative government's

When I come across families who are waiting desperately

for their children to receive the care they need, they feel badly

So for me, it's empty rhetoric at the moment.

The Conservatives also say they want to increase staffing

levels in all areas of mental health care in England, with 10,000

Currently, there are 200,000 in a variety of roles,

but according to government figures, the number of mental health nurses

Mental health charities welcome the aims, but are doubtful

We've got to resource the front line so that there are enough beds

and enough people and we wonder if the 10,000 people promised that

will be trained by 2020, will be sufficient to meet such demand.

The Conservatives acknowledge funding will come from existing

Labour said the Tories hadn't delivered on a promise to give

mental health the same priority as physical health and warm words

wouldn't help tackle the injustice of unequal treatment.

82 Nigerian schoolgirls, kidnapped by the extremist group

Boko Haram three years ago, met their country's President

today after being freed in a prisoner swap.

They were among more than 200 girls taken from their school

in the town of Chibok, at least 100 are still being held.

With more details, here's our Africa correspondent, Alastair Leithead.

Three years held in the forest by Boko Haram, here they are in

the Nigerian capital, meeting the President.

Campaigners and the families of those held, still don't

know if their daughters are among those freed.

Or that more than 100 are still being held.

Whether she is among the ones that's freed

or still in captivity, I don't know yet.

Whether my baby is freed or not, I am very happy.

This photograph was the first proof they were free.

And once in Abuja, they were under the care of Nigerian soldiers,

They looked tired and confused by all the attention.

I am very glad and every Nigerian today must be forgetting how

they were suffering because this is a very joyous moment.

This Boko Haram video shows the girls shortly

after they were kidnapped in April 2014, they were taken from Chibok

It sparked international outrage and a global

Last October, the first 21 were released, as negotiations

The government says talks will now continue to free the rest.

These girls have grown up under Boko Haram.

Captives are often forced to marry their captors.

Emotions will be in turmoil and returning to their families

North Korea says it has detained an American citizen on suspicion

of carrying out what it called "hostile acts".

The state news agency said the man had been working

for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.

He's the second American to be detained by North

A total of four US nationals are now being held by Pyongyang.

Back to the General Election now and the Liberal Democrats have said

today their manifesto will include a commitment to keep the "triple

lock" on the state pension, which guarantees it rises by as much

as wages, inflation or 2.5%, whichever is highest.

Labour has also pledged to retain the triple lock.

Theresa May has declined to say whether the

Each week, the BBC's Steph McGovern, and the Reality Check team,

will be looking at some of the key issues facing voters.

Starting tonight with the state pension, and the triple lock

I'm sure we've all thought of ways to try and make a bit of extra money

and make life a bit easier, especially as you're getting older

It can be tough to save for a private pensions for a lot

There are around 13 million people claiming the state pension.

It works out at a maximum of just over ?159 a week and that costs

over ?90 billion a year, about 12% of the government's

So how much it goes up by each year is based on something

Statisticians will look at how much average earnings have gone up

by and how much inflation, the cost of living,

If either of them are over 2.5% then they will go with the highest.

If they are less than that then they will increase

Basically whichever of these three is highest.

So this means that even at times when price rises and the increase

in the cost of living has been close to zero, the state pension has

Since April 2010, the state pension has gone up by 25%,

compared with earnings going up by 14% and prices,

So, if you're retired or close to retiring then this system

Barry, you think you deserve this rise?

I do deserve the rise, we need the increase every year.

I am 73 years old and I'm still working.

But for George, a different story, because you are a lot younger

and you're finding it tough to save for anything.

Yes, I'm 28 and I've been working since I finished university

Do you think you'll be working a long time before you retire?

Yeah I feel that retirement is a long way off.

It's clear the triple lock system divides the generations.

Older people are more likely to vote in an election so it is good

for harnessing the grey vote but it's stirring up

inequalities between the young and old in the future.

There's also the question about whether it is sustainable.

It's already costing the country several billion pounds more

to sustain at the moment and the cost is going to go up over

So the next government is going to have to make some pretty

tough decisions about how and when it is going to get

rid of the triple lock and what it will do instead.

I will let you get back to your shopping.

If we don't have that system, what do we do, because people

still need money when they retire and it can't be a fixed rate

So, one option is to have a double lock system, get rid of the 2.5%

minimum and instead go by either how much earnings are increasing or how

This is about fairness and sustainability.

Some organisations think the triple lock system is simply an arbitrary

way of setting pension rises and, if things carry on as they are,

it's highly likely the age of retirement will have

Steph McGovern, BBC News, Walton on Thames.

Part of a new series we will be running between now and the

election. Football now and you'll be

able to watch highlights of today's Premier League

and Scottish Premiership matches in Match of the Day 2

and Sportscene later on. Meanwhile, Newcastle have won

the Championship title It comes as the 1995 Premier League

champions Blackburn were relegated to the third tier of English

football, that's despite That's it from me in London,

now back to Huw Edwards in Paris. So the people of France are taking

in the news that they have elected the youngest president

in their history, a politician with no background of elected

office, he's beaten Marine Le Pen of the Front National,

who declared tonight that her party was now firmly established

as the main party of Our Paris correspondent

Lucy Williamson is with me. I'd like to talk about what kind of

president Mr Macron will be. What do you think this presidency will be

about? He is young, energetic, charismatic. He talks about

optimism. He talks a lot about breaking the system, renewing the

system. I will tell you an anecdote from his time as a state auditor.

One of his colleagues remembered how he used to leapfrog layers of senior

management. He once took his oppose all straight to the Lee is a palace.

He doesn't like obstacles getting in his way. He has the Parliamentary

elections next month. With out a stable coalition and a good result,

he won't be able to implement his project very easily and that is the

biggest thing facing him at the moment. Lucy, thank you very much.

That's all from Paris for tonight, in a moment we'll have the news

where you are, but we'll leave you with some of the memorable

scenes from France, on the day Emmanuel Macron was elected