0:00:23 > 0:00:25Good afternoon.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28The Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has called on all the main political
0:00:28 > 0:00:30parties to agree a new, independent system to tackle sexual
0:00:30 > 0:00:33harassment at Westminster.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Mr McDonnell said the recent claims of misconduct
0:00:35 > 0:00:37by MPs were distressing, and undermined public confidence
0:00:37 > 0:00:40in the political system.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Last night, the Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke
0:00:43 > 0:00:45was suspended by his party, following what they called
0:00:45 > 0:00:48"serious allegations" which were referred to the police.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Mr Elphicke said he'd done nothing wrong.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56Our Political Correspondent Iain Watson reports.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59This is the week when politicians' private lives became very public.
0:00:59 > 0:01:05Past actions by some MPs have had serious consequences.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07There have been accusations, resignations, investigations.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10And it is clear the current crisis at Westminster will continue
0:01:10 > 0:01:13to fill the front pages.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15And now Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke has been suspended
0:01:15 > 0:01:19from his parliamentary party and reported to the police.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22He says he does not know what he has been accused
0:01:22 > 0:01:26of and denies any wrongdoing.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29The Conservatives have toughened their code of conduct
0:01:29 > 0:01:34for MPs and party members and the Shadow Chancellor said that
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Labour has learnt from a past scandal.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39The party will now allow complaints of harassment to be made
0:01:39 > 0:01:42to an independent body, free from political control.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44The lesson from the MPs expenses scandal is act quickly,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47gets an independent system in place which people can then
0:01:47 > 0:01:49have confidence in.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53It is distressing for all of us, it is distressing to hear some
0:01:53 > 0:01:56of these concerns and reports of what has gone on.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01So we have to act and be decisive and ruthless.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05But Jeremy Corbyn is still facing questions about why he hardly acted
0:02:05 > 0:02:07ruthlessly against this MP.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Kelvin Hopkins was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet
0:02:09 > 0:02:13after being reprimanded for past behaviour.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Mr Hopkins denies wrongdoing.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17The physical structures of Parliament are being made fit
0:02:17 > 0:02:19for the 21st century.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22And on Monday Theresa May wants to do much the same thing
0:02:22 > 0:02:25with the wider culture here at Westminster.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28She is holding cross-party talks to try to get broad agreement
0:02:28 > 0:02:32on tackling harassment and inappropriate behaviour.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35But some MPs are worried that political careers could be ended
0:02:35 > 0:02:40on the basis of rumour and the settling of old scores.
0:02:40 > 0:02:50There is a febrile atmosphere and there is a feeding frenzy.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55That some have described I think probably rightly as a witchhunt.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Yes this may sell tomorrow's chip wrappings, but this
0:02:57 > 0:02:59is more serious than that.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01And I believe that my colleagues, Members of Parliament,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03have a right to the same natural justice as anybody else
0:03:03 > 0:03:05and they're not getting it.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Party leaders want to be seen to be taking tough
0:03:07 > 0:03:08action against harassment.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10But they know, perhaps even fear, that they're not entirely
0:03:10 > 0:03:12in control of events.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Iain Watson, BBC News, Westminster.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17And Iain is with me now.
0:03:17 > 0:03:23This has been compared to the expenses scandal.How similar is it?
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Similar in a couple of ways, day after day we had newspaper stories
0:03:27 > 0:03:32which must lead to even further erosion of public confidence in
0:03:32 > 0:03:37politicians similar to the expenses scandal. And secondly and perhaps
0:03:37 > 0:03:42more significantly, as with the expenses scandal I think the culture
0:03:42 > 0:03:47Westminster will change. So for example already Labour has a sexual
0:03:47 > 0:03:50harassment policy just four or five months old and they have changed
0:03:50 > 0:03:54that under pressure from some MPs to make sure that people can make
0:03:54 > 0:03:58complaints to an independent body. The Prime Minister herself once more
0:03:58 > 0:04:01independent in the system and so those cross-party talks on Monday,
0:04:01 > 0:04:06that will be the focus, to try to get more independence and less party
0:04:06 > 0:04:12political control of the process. But with the expenses scandal you
0:04:12 > 0:04:16are clear evidence, a paper trail of what the MPs had done wrong way,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20what they had done at all. What we have here sometimes are rumours,
0:04:20 > 0:04:25gossip and some people do not want to be put on trial in the court of
0:04:25 > 0:04:32public opinion on the basis of studies -- unsubstantiated claims.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34A seven-year-old girl who suffered critical injuries in an incident
0:04:34 > 0:04:36at a house in south west London yesterday, has died.
0:04:36 > 0:04:3855-year-old Robert Peters, who officers say was known
0:04:38 > 0:04:42to the victim, appeared in court today charged with attempted murder.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46He's been remanded in custody until December.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Lebanon's Prime Minister, Saad al-Hariri, has
0:04:49 > 0:04:52announced his resignation, saying that he fears for his life.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55He also heavily criticised Iran, accusing the country of sowing 'fear
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and destruction' in several countries including his own.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Mr Hariri's father, who was also prime minister,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04was assassinated in 2005.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07New figures suggest that only half of fixed speed cameras
0:05:07 > 0:05:10in the UK are switched on - and some forces have turned
0:05:10 > 0:05:19all their cameras off.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22The information is based on 36 of the UK's 45 police forces.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Road safety campaigners say the situation is "concerning" -
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and they've blamed budget cuts for so many cameras
0:05:26 > 0:05:27being turned off.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Campaigners are warning of the growing threat to marine
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and wildlife in the UK from the increasing number of helium
0:05:32 > 0:05:34balloons and sky lanterns being released into the air.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36They say they can be deadly for animals -
0:05:36 > 0:05:39both on land and in the sea - as they can become entangled
0:05:39 > 0:05:42in them, or swallow them - and they fear their warnings
0:05:42 > 0:05:43are not being heard.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Dan Johnson reports.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51The litter in our seas, an issue largely hidden.
0:05:51 > 0:05:57And how it gets there isn't always clear.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59So look at this and think about it.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Where do they land?
0:06:01 > 0:06:04What goes up must come down.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07And the result is trouble at sea.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09It hurts wildlife, it entangles them.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11It is very unsightly...
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Campaigns have been running for years but the message
0:06:14 > 0:06:21isn't getting through.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Most people think oh, we're having a great time, you know,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25we'll let the balloons off, there's not really
0:06:25 > 0:06:26much of a problem.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29But again it is when you bring that visual impact to something
0:06:29 > 0:06:32that is ingested, marine litter, it is dead sea birds again wrapped
0:06:32 > 0:06:34up with bits of string and bits of balloon out
0:06:34 > 0:06:36of their mouth as well.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And it could be internal we find out when we do a postmortem.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42The amount of plastic in the ocean is already a threat to marine
0:06:42 > 0:06:51ecosystems and sea life.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54And the truth is this is impossible to tell how much balloons
0:06:54 > 0:06:55are adding to the problem.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Because the impact is out there, offshore, unseen and unmeasured.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59So balloons get released without consideration
0:06:59 > 0:07:00of the consequences.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03It has landed in the field and being curious she has swallowed it.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06And they can be just as deadly online.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Jennifer's horse died after choking and panicking.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Right through here it was tangled in the back leg.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Crashed into this, broke all of this and broke her neck.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20And then she lay dying horrendously for what seemed like an eternity.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25Feisty was heading to be a top showjumper.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Just like her sister here.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29They do not understand, they're releasing litter into the air.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Airborne litter.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36And if anyone dropped that on a pavement they would get
0:07:36 > 0:07:37heavily fined for it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40And it is causing untold suffering for animals that are eating them
0:07:40 > 0:07:49in the fields and either becoming very injured or killing them.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51The call is for a wider ban on balloons being released
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and for people to keep their impact in mind before they drift
0:07:54 > 0:07:55off out of sight.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Dan Johnson, BBC News, on the south coast.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Football - and Celtic have set a new British record
0:08:02 > 0:08:05after beating St Johnstone 4-nil.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10They now haven't lost a domestic game in 63 matches -
0:08:10 > 0:08:12breaking their own record, which had stood for 100 years.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Chris McLaughlin reports.
0:08:16 > 0:08:23A century ago and in the month the United States entered the First
0:08:23 > 0:08:28World War a the Celtic players set a record. Today is those who fell in
0:08:28 > 0:08:31that conflict and others were Birnam Wood, the current crop were out to
0:08:31 > 0:08:38better it. It was never really in doubt. The class of 2017 has been
0:08:38 > 0:08:42swatting aside all in their path in Scotland. Scott Sinclair put them on
0:08:42 > 0:08:48their way in Perth. The signal for the party to start came after was to
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Bally doubled the lead in the second half. -- Mousa Dembele. St Johnstone
0:08:52 > 0:08:59just wanted it to end. By the time the fourth goal came the record had
0:08:59 > 0:09:05been well and truly smashed.It is an incredible feat by the players
0:09:05 > 0:09:10and a wonderful example of professionalism. Of playing and
0:09:10 > 0:09:15creating high standards every single day. And they have faced everything
0:09:15 > 0:09:19as football players.Domestic games unbeaten 63, the Celtic history
0:09:19 > 0:09:22makers March on.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Now, there are many ways to send a message these days -
0:09:25 > 0:09:28but a mysterious one the size of a field in Oxfordshire has
0:09:28 > 0:09:30caused some bafflement.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33The name "Sue" with a kiss in giant letters was spotted by a police
0:09:33 > 0:09:38helicopter near Thame.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40A farmer, Murray Graham has now admitted he used his GPS-operated
0:09:40 > 0:09:43tractor to spray the crops in the shape of his wife's name -
0:09:43 > 0:09:50to apologise for being moody.