21/05/2017 BBC Weekend News

The Conservatives have defended their planned changes

to social care and winter fuel payments if they win

They insisted the new system would be fairer to everyone.

The Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green also told the BBC

that he thought ?100,000 was a reasonable inheritance

when questioned about the moves to reform social care.

Our Political Correspondent, Susana Mendonca, reports.

Pensioners are used to being courted by politicians because they vote him

larger numbers than younger people do. But the Conservatives' plans for

social care haven't been going down well with this crucial group of

voters. Leading Labour to step up its campaign to woo the Grey Vote.

The plans would see elderly people who are cared for in their homes

having to meet the cost of that care above ?100,000. The property may

have to be sold after their death to pay for it, meaning that they might

not be able to pass their homes their children. The Work and

Pensions Secretary said it was a fairer system. ?100,000 is a

reasonable inheritance to have, and people who are lucky enough to have

great rises in property value will still, I think, decide that ?100,000

is a better way of doing it. Labour has accused Theresa May of stirring

up a war between the generations. It is promising extra funding for

social care and to set a cap of no more than ?72,000 on how much

someone should have to pay for their own care. Double bull Democrats,

meanwhile, have accused the Tories of wanting to bring in a dementia

cap. -- the Liberal Democrats. What we're seeing this weekend with the

Conservatives under increasing pressure because they have chosen a

dementia tax, if you and a loved one has or will get dementia, they are

coming for you. Questioned about newspaper reports that the Cabinet

would not -- was not consulted by Mrs May on the plans, Boris Johnson

insisted they were. I think this is the right policy and I am supporting

it. Plainly you were not ask your opinion on it. There are all sorts

of consultations about the ballot box and you would not expect me to

go into detail but we need to do something. Conservatives say the

system that they are proposing would protect elderly people from the fear

that they would lose all their savings in life. And they are

accusing their critics of running a scare campaign.

The Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, has said that

a Labour government will effectively end the freeze on welfare benefits

Mr McDonnell claimed the party's proposals would

make the freeze 'irrelevant' but refused to say

He said Labour would be putting ?30 billion into welfare

The US President Donald Trump will shortly give a major

speech in Saudi Arabia - appealing for a unified approach

in the fight against Islamic extremism in the world.

He'll deliver it on the second day of his tour of the

From Riyadh, Frank Gardner sent this report.

A smooth passage to the palace for President Trump's

He's amongst friends and allies here, the leaders

most of whom share his antipathy towards their giant neighbour, Iran.

The US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, signed

a counter-terrorism pact with the Saudi Crown prince.

Yesterday, the secretary called on Iran to stop

Last night, President Trump joined his Saudi hosts

in a traditional sword dance of welcome.

His earlier controversial comments appear to have been forgiven here.

With President Trump, you know, the inflammatory remarks on Muslims

and the perceived Muslim ban, that caused a lot of noise

in the United States but you would be surprised how

little noise it caused in the region.

What did, however, cause a lot of controversy in the region,

and caused a lot of support for Donald Trump in the region,

That's gone down well on the streets of the capital, Riyadh.

Saudis admire strong leadership but when it comes to religion,

Donald Trump may face a more sceptical audience.

The speech President Trump is made today to the leaders of more than 14

Islamic nations is risky territory. Because this is Saudi Arabia, the

birthplace of Islam. So every single word of his speech will be carefully

scrutinised, not just here in Riyadh but all over the Middle East and

beyond. Excerpts of the speech say that Arab leaders must do their fair

share in fighting terrorism. That is not a message that will go down well

with countries that have already lost hundreds of citizens doing

exactly that. Frank Gardner, BBC News, Riyadh.

North Korea has launched another missile, say security

officials in South Korea - the latest in a series

of tests and launches, amid concerns about the country's

Earlier this month, North Korea successfully launched a long range

missile - prompting protests from Japan.

The latest launch is being analysed by Washington and South Korea.

The UK coastguard say they are concerned about a family of Nakhi

Wells off the Suffolk coast. One adult washed up on Felixstowe beach

yesterday while a second calf is also believed to have died. -- a

family of men keep Wales. Three more whales appear to be

in trouble further out to sea, one in the water off

Harwich in Essex. Returning to the general

election, the deadline The latest figures from

the Electoral Commission show there could be up to 7 million

people eligible to vote Our correspondent, Sophie Long,

has been speaking to people in West Yorkshire where both

the Conservatives and Labour In this barber shop in Leeds,

where every vote could count, Bev is assessing the

trainee barbers here. Not really interested

in stuff like that. And do you think you

will bother voting? I don't really get politics

and all stuff like that. Young people, that's

under 34s, are the least According to the Electoral

Commission, just under I should do, really, but I haven't

got round to it, if I'm honest. Students are generally quite

politically engaged. Here in Leeds, the university union

is trying to change that. So from next September the union

is working with the university to make sure that students,

upon registering for their course at university, also have the option

to register to vote, so all the details they put

in will be sent on by And then they will be automatically

registered without having As with so many things,

lessons can be learned from those This is Old Pool Bank Village Hall

where each and every member of the dance group that meets

here is not only registered to vote but really can't understand

why anyone wouldn't be. I fought for this country

in the Second World War so I think you should do,

to get everything sorted out. I wouldn't like to miss it really,

especially this year, because it's very important,

what's going on. And for the young people,

they should vote as well, If you haven't got the internet,

just go to your local council office Either way you will need your

national insurance number. And you find that on your payslip,

and if you're not working it's on any correspondence

from the Department At the last general election nearly

half a million people left it You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel. Good afternoon. Casting our highs to

the weather for the week ahead, it is certainly looking drier and

warmer than the week just gone. Last week we try to address the