08/05/2013 Newsnight

pagentry aplenty, but are the couple at the heart of the

coalition Government arguing over the kids?

This programme has learned that This programme has learned that

Nick Clegg may block reforms to childcare ratio, one of the

flagship policies of the Queen's Speech.

It was meant to be a done deal, but in the last hour the Deputy Prime

Minister's office has confirmed to this programme that he may not sign

it off. Also tonight as Manchester United

says goodbye to the very best, we asks what makes a manager great.

Most people at the top of business and sport are not the easiest

people to get on with, because they are like that and used to battering

doors out. We speak to Mark Hughes, his friends and the think-tank.

We are on Pakistan's campaign trail. What you are seeing is a revolution.

I am this is beyond, if you see the fashion, this is not normal

politics. This is an uprising from the grassroots.

Hello, good evening. To the public looking on it was a fairly

faultless parade of unity, but tonight this programme has learned

that the Deputy Prime Minister is he at odds with the Prime Minister

over one of the key policies laid out in the queens speech. Newsnight

has learned that conversation reforms for affordable child

cautious particularly the ratio of children to child minders has not

been signed off by Nick Clegg. On the very day the measures were laid

out by the Monarch in parliament, the Lib Dem leader has made it

clear he remains to be persuaded this is the right thing to. Do Our

political editor joins us. What have you learned? In the last

few days Nick Clegg has told colleagues across Government that

the Liberal Democrats won't, afterall, be supporting this ratios

measure. It sounds incredibly technical, but I imagine quite a

lot of viewers have heard about it. It is this move to get young

children under the ages of one, two, three, being looked after across

greater ratio. So one person would look after four, where as they had

been looking after three. The reason why this is important is

firstly what it means about how the coalition does its business, and

secondly about the specifics of childcare which, remember, are so

central to this Government, it isn't a niche issue, it has become

about getting more women in work, it has become about living

standards and the cost of living. Process wise this was a policy that

was finished, it was done, it is due to come in September. It was

not open for revisiting. That's what Nick Clegg has done by saying

do you know what, I can't actually deal with this any more. In terms

of what that means about other coalition policies, well some of my

sources are saying this evening what's fair game for them, as

Conservatives, to go around and start picking. In terms of

childcare Newsnight has been to France with the minister that is

responsible for this, we have seen them really try to grapple with

whether this policy work. She truly believes that if you don't do this

policy you don't bring down the cost of childcare. That is what

they are trying to do. My sources say that if they don't do this the

whole costing of the whole policy falls apart. Remember this is a key

offer of both coalition partner, not just the Liberal Democrats or

the Tories on their own. Year after year, the Queen has

arrived for the State Opening of Parliament. But this morning

something was different. Prince Charles came too for only the

second time ever. So did his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, for her

first time. Today it gave us a sense of transitions to come. The

contents of the Queen's Speech was also about the future. The collapse

of the coalition's childcare policy, just bun premonition of some fights

ahead. The 15 bills the Queen came to deliver today had few onate

embellishments, but performed strict functions, there were many

issues about immigration. And action to care for people in their

elderly years Her Majesty could have been reading out two party

manifestos. My ministers will continue to prioritise measures

that reduce the deficit, ensuring interest rates are kept low for

homeowners and businesses. Prince allowed himself the odd tap

of the foot and the Queen moved at a perky pace too, her speech all

wrapped up within eight minutes. For the kfrs it had a very serious

purpose -- the Conservatives, it had a very serious purpose, to

define their message or be smothered by Ukip. As MPs filed

back from the Lords to the Commons, they might have reflected this

Queen's Speech marked the transition from one parliament to

the other, the beginning to the end. This year's is probably the last

significant programme of legislation before the next general

election. There will be another one, it is just that with 12 months to

go before the country goes to the polls it is unlikely that the

coalition will be able to agree on enough to make the next Queen's

Speech a chunky one. One MP spoke for many Conservatives when he told

us that he would have liked to have seen an EU referendum bill today.

But he's confident the future will be different. I think this is the

last rose garden Queen's Speech, moving to the jungle next year, it

will be no holds barred next year. We have to put forward, as a

Conservative Party a very attractive compelling narrative by

way of the Queen's Speech, which allows the voters to distinguish

between us and the Liberal Democrats. I think we will see that.

The people around David Cameron are very mindful that must be the

number one priority, to have an authentic Conservative message next

year. One of his Lib Dem partners was more sanguine, Tim Farron

thinks disagreements are manageable. We disagree on issues of fairness.

You will see that long before next year's Queen's Speech, which will

be on issues of taxation. I'm sure George Osborne will want more tax

cuts for the gaelty and Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems calling for more

tax cuts for the poorer people and those on middle incomes. That will

be our priority and continue to be a fight, but a good-natureed one.

Despite all the appearences of the Queen's Speech and the debate

afterwards that the Tories are leaning in to tackle the UKIP

threat, actually, many Conservatives still harbour some

hopes of winning over centrist voters. But there are some who will

think they won't be able to win over both types. Ed Miliband knows

this, that is why he teased the Prime Minister today.

honourable member for mid-Somerset, he goes even further, he is nodding,

he wants a coalition right now with UKIP. Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, they

used to call them clowns, now they want to join the circus! The Prime

Minister was clear about his plans, and he challenged Ed Miliband.

the deficit they would increase it, on competitiveness they would put

up taxes not cut them, on welfare reform they have opposed every step

we have taken to make our system fair and affordable. These are the

argument that is will dominate this Queen's Speech this session and the

general election. But the Labour leader made sure UKIP was front and

centre in the debate. As someone once said, he's in office but not

in power. Because what is their party spending their time talking

about, not youth unemployment, not the NHS, not the living standards

crisis but the one subject, they are obsessing about day in day out

is Europe and UKIP. Today that red carpet is served for two

generations of royals, a Queen and her son. If the fate of the

childcare policy is anything to go by, the other transsignificant, as

we enter the beginning of the end of the coalition Government, won't

get tide up so neatly. Let's discuss this now with the

Conservative Party chairman. Let's catch up with what we have heard

from Nick Clegg's office in the last hour or two, what will you do

if he doesn't support this? whole thrust of the Queen's Speech

is helping hard working families who want to get on in life, that

includes families who happen to have children. There are a couple

of parts to the proposal, one is to make sure people can have a tax

break on their child cautious up to 20% of the costs there. The other

is this element you were just talking about earlier which is at

the moment in this country, unlike say in France or Germany, the ratio

of carers, in other words, nursery teachers or child minders that you

need to have to children is much lower, or higher, depending on how

you look at it. For example you need to, at the moment, if the

child is under two, and it is in nursery, there is one child, there

is one person looking after them for every three. We want to move

that to to one to every four. It is a bit more complicated than that,

because there are different levels for nursery teachers and child

minders. I think our viewers are familiar with this because it is a

story we have covered a few times. The line from the Deputy Prime

Minister's office is he has looked very closely at the proposals to

increase the number of children each adult has look after, he has

serious concerns, raised by parents and childcare providers and he

remains to be persuaded it is the right thing to. Do he is not

convinced we thought was something signed off by the Queen today?

me explain the process. The reason I go into some detail about the

number of children for the different levels is there has been

a consultation, which has gone out with the full authority of the

Government and both sides of the coalition, and has asked these

questions about what the levels should be for children of different

ages and under different types of childcare. You have had a petition

of 11,000 people saying they disagree with the proposal that is

are going through on this issue? The whole point of a consultation

is get people's views. And you have 11,000 protesting, so the Prime

Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister is not alone in this, he is now

saying he won't sign off something which is absolutely integral to

your childcare reforms? What we think and the Conservative side of

this coalition believe that parents who want to go out, working hard,

want to get on in life should be able to look after their children,

or have them looked after if they want to go back to work and for

that to be affordable N this country it is not. A lot of people

will be sympathetic with the plans. I just want to step in, this isn't

about the policy itself, this is about whether the two leaders at

the top of the coalition have agreed to something that everyone

saw the Queen sign off today F it is not signed off and there is

horse trading, what does that mean for the rest of the stuff? There

are one or two lines in the Queen's Speech which talked about what we

absolutely will do, which is the hard working families out there, we

will make sure that childcare in this country becomes affordable

again. By the way to answer the question by people who have

petitioned and what have you, you want the quality of that childcare

to be higher, you want to have the higher level of qualification,

which isn't always used at the moment. Whether that's a

childminder or in a nursery, so higher quality, I think more

practical versions of this. Who seriously thinks a child under one

a childminder can only look after one, who thinks that really? Do you

think this is a done deal, signed off, in the books by September,

which is what we have all been led to believe? I think there will be a

package and that will include a tax break. And these other issues?

Which will be up to �6,000 for families T will also include

changing these ratios, the important thing is it is out for

consultation. If Nick Clegg will agree? Everything has two stages,

it goes to consultation with Government agreement. Isn't

consultation usually before it has been announced? Let me explain, it

goes to consultation, that has to have Government agreement. Then it

has to be implemented and you look through the consultation, you

decide what you will agree on, that is the bit you are now having this

discussion about. It is just that last bit of T as we have done with

so many other issues, many as big or bigger as a coalition, we will

get to the bottom of this and put plans in place that are on the side

of hard-working families. Immigration, you have put that at

the centre of much of what was talked about today, landlords to

check on tenants, doctors to check on migrant status, and businesses

that have to crackdown on whether they use illegal labour, this is

outsourcing isn't it? I was Housing Minister and it is absolutely right

that when somebody rents out a property they should know whether

that person is supposed to be here in the first place, it is not an

unreasonable thing to ask of somebody renting. When you consider

at the moment a local council doesn't even ask that question

before shelling out housing benefit, thousands of pounds potentially,

that can't possibly be right. A lot of the time the landlord in

question here will actually be the state, the Government, the local

authority, I think it is absolutely right to have them ask precise low

that question. There is no register in this country, in England, there

is no register, there is nothing that compels landlords to do this.

There is nothing that will check up on whether they have. What is the

incentive and what is the punishment? There are all sorts of

laws in which there is no specific check against the law and there are

fines. You will fine? Absolutely. And check up on landlords? There

are he can chs in the system. There are all sorts of things that people

know there are things against the law. The landlord may be the local

authority in many of the cases, it may be a private landlord. We

expect private landlords to keep all kind of laws to do with health

and safety, this is no different. Doctors to check on migrants'

status, now it is the GPs that are a new Border Agency? I don't think

there is anything particularly shocking or surprising your viewers

will find unusual about the concept, before somebody accesses what can

be very expensive services in this country, like the NHS, that there

ought to be a reasonable check as to whether somebody has actually

paid into the system and indeed should even be in this country in

the first place. Are they legally here? It is a perfectly reasonable

thing. Most people watching this will ask why has that not been done

a long time ago. Ed Miliband called this a speech to "out-Farrage

Farrage"? It is up to Ed Miliband to come up with policies all of

which we have yet to see at this stage. The Queen's Speech indicates

15 pieces of legislation that we are hard at work to help people in

this country who want to work hard and get on with life. It doesn't

matter if it is the Immigration Bill stopping people accessing

services, or long-term care that means you don't have to sell your

home any more, or the fact that you will get a decent single-tier

pension from 2016. All those things are in the Queen's Speech, and we

are on the side of people who want to work hard and get on in life.

Coming up: This is an uprising from the

grassroots. We take to the skies with Pakistan's election candidates.

Despite the pomp at Westminster it was footballing royalty that

arguably stole the show today. The man who promised to knock Liverpool

off their "f-ing perch" amongst other things retired today. Alex

Fergsuon leaves Manchester United, a club worth many millions with 38

trophies under his belt. His approach was more despot than

democrat, but it worked. The BBC understands that David Moyes will

be announced as the new manager tomorrow. We look at what made Sir

Alex the best. Manchester United have won the

European Cup, it is astonishing. He stabbed it with his right foot and

Manchester United rule Europe. is an achievement that symbolises

almost everything that Sir Alex Fergsuon has come to represent. On

May 26th 1999, Manchester United defeated Bayern Munich with a last-

minute strike to win an unprecedented treble. It spoke of

resilience, tenacity and unwaviering commitment to success.

As Fergsuon himself put it, "we never give up, the time to give up

is when you are dead". Fergsuon is a deeply polarising figure, there

is no doubt he's a collosus of the modern sporting world. His

retirement leaves a void, not just in the world's biggest club, but in

one of the nation's most important cultural institutions, football.

How did he achieve so much? How did he take a club and sport

languishing in the 1980s and set in train what can only be described as

a revolution. It all started in Govern. Fergsuon grew up in ten

meant building in the industrial heartland of Glasgow. It was there

he learned the things that would dominate his managerial style. The

importance of community, discipline and solidarity. That heavy

industrial heritage that is where it all comes from. You would have

to have grown up in the communities to know why. Loyalties certainly

come into it, "loyalty" is a word Fergsuon always uses, next to

"power", it was probably one of his favourites. And Fergsuon's loyalty

is that loyalty is people being faithful to him! Fergsuon was

interested not merely in building a team but in creating a dynasty.

Like Sir Matt Busby before him. He made a conscious attempt to have a

mythology around United. The Busby Babes after the Munich plane

disaster. He was not interested in players playing merely for the pay

check, he wanted them -- pay cheque, he wanted them to buy into

something more visceral. Under him the team became a family a tribe.

No retrospective can ignore Ferguson's darker side. I don't

know what you are name is I'm not interested in what you have to say.

He was controlling and at times manipulative. He banned journalists

who wrote negative stories, even when they were true. He boycotted

media organisations, including the BBC. At times Old Trafford seemed

like a personal fiefdom. expressed himself through the

questioning of other people's motives. Not just referees, we know

about that, working on referees. But working on the mixture

compilers for conspiring against Manchester United, against the

television companies for their scheduling, against the Premier

League for mitigating since Manchester United's Champions

League chances by the dates of matches. All this as decribing of

bad faith to -- ascribing of bad faith was something that didn't

happen in the past. Managers previous were sportsmanlike in

public, they might not like it in private, but they were in public,

Ferguson has changed all that. Clive Woodward, one of sport's most

influential leaders argues that these defects could be great

strengths. Most people at the top of business and sport are not the

easiest to get on with, they are like that and used to battering

doors down. That is what you want. At a dangerous time you put in the

popular person or somebody to get on with everybody, that doesn't

always produce a winning team in my experience. You want someone out

there an out-and-out leader and figurehead who knows everyone will

follow him. He's that person. I think Alex Ferguson would have been

successful whatever he did. It is one of the great ironies of

Ferguson's tenure that this avowed socialist presided over the

transformation of the club into a bastion of global capitalism. The

club was purchased by family of American entrepeneurs and loaded

down with leveraged debt. It caused a breakaway amongst hardcore fans.

It was only the success of the manager that held the club together.

Ferguson's success at United has coincided with a boom in one of

Britain's most successful exports. Whilst the Premier League is big it

is only as big as its aggregate stellar clubs, there is no club

bigger on a worldwide basis than Manchester United. There is no

single character, whether it be a player or whoever who has been

involved in Manchester United that comes bigger than Sir Alex. So in a

sense, if you look at me as the "chief salesman" of the Premier

League, I have been out there selling, do you want a watch, do

you want this or that. But the biggest product I have had to sell

is the fact that when they buy the Premier League they buy Manchester

United, and when they buy Manchester United they buy Sir Alex

Ferguson. Before Ferguson's tenure football was almost a different

sport. The creation of the Premier League in 1992 was a watershed that

coincided with the beginning of Ferguson's dominance. 85-86 there

was no television deal, no Match of the Day. The BBC didn't want to

show highlights. We had no television deal at all. There was

no football on television, you couldn't give it way. Then we had

the tragedies of Bradford and Hillsborough, and then we had all

the fall-out from that. Don't underestimate how big a part that

played really in the resurgence. Because, again, the fact that the

Premier League was even able to break-away. It wouldn't, and

couldn't happen today. It was at a time when nobody was interested.

is not just the fans who have been spooked. United's value plummeted

today by �80 million on the opening of the New York Stock Exchange.

David Moyes, a fellow Glaswegian, is expected to be announced as

Ferguson's successor. He will take over from one of the most xelgs

compelling and complex figures in British sports. Mark Hughes was one

of his early signings, he went on to play for Manchester United and

managed Fulham and Queens Park Rangers. I asked him what set Sir

Alex apart? It is his retire and will to win. That is what he

imparts on players. I was very fortunate to play for five or six

years under him. His determination to succeed as a manager and

determination to make you better as player was there every single day

that I was there and certainly that's continued for the whole of

the 26 years I'm sure. When I first went there United weren't in a

great situation in terms of the quality of the team. But obviously

as time has passed he has addresseded that very, very quickly

and has had addressed that very, very quickly and had success that

won't be emulated again in my view. When you say that desire to succeed,

was he terrifying as a manager? Absolutely, yeah. When he first

came down from Scotland he found things that were completely at odds

than he would find, he knew he had to address them and stamp his

authority. He did that very, very quickly. But all accounts he has

mellowed, I'm not sure he has. He has had to manage in a different

way. It is a different era. The dressing rooms are different to

when he first came down from Scotland. The dressing room was

dominantly British and now it is a lot more diverse. He has had to

change I'm sure. That is one of his great strengths he has never stood

still. A lot of managers have gone out the game because they have

thought that what they did 20 years ago would stand them in good stead,

but he has always embraced new things. What if you disagreed with

him, was there room for disagreement in the skad? Sfrpblgt

you could disagree, but in some -- You could disagree, but in no

uncertain terms he would tell you you were wrong. You could have a

voice, I was present on a number of occasions when players went head-

to-head with him. You always knew he was the boss and fundamentally

you always knew what he said was right. You had the utmost respect

for him, at times you didn't particularly like him because of

the way he was. He made you a better player and that is why you

had great respect for him. When you were managing Manchester City,

could you have gone to him at that point for advice? I'm not sure

about that. Possibly. In fairness to him he was always very open and

always has been ever since he has been a manager. And since I have

been a manager he is always there for you. He's very good with young

managers. He's very good with ex- players trying to find a way in

this crazy world of football. You knew that if you were in a real

tight spot that he would help you. I don't think he possibly would

have been as forth coming when it was Manchester City manager, but

certainly you knew that there was a pool of knowledge that you could

tap into any time I'm sure. We hear those quotes that he wanted to

"knock Liverpool off its f-ing perch", his feelings towards

Manchester City were similar to the end. Do you think he was driven by

the desire, not just to win, but to really see the others put down?

think he just had a real desire to see Manchester United top of the

pile. When he came down from Scotland the team itself was

underperforming, it was a mid-table First Division side. Quickly

addressed that and made them the superpower that they are now. It is

all down to him. Down to his desire, his determination to take United

where he felt they rightly should be. Only a man of his stature was

able to do it. We know that David Moyes going to be put into the job

is that the right choice? Congrat layings to him and he's an

outstanding manager. He has -- congratulations to him he's an

outstanding manager and he has shown that in his longevity in the

job. He will be viewed as a manager who can come in and stead Yeo the

ship and make sure things -- steady the ship and make sure things

continue in the same vain. Joining me -- vein. Joining me now is Danny

Finkelstein, and Alastair dam bell and my guest from America. Did the

think-tank see this? I'm a great sceptic about managers, I think

most of the time they make no difference, but there are a few who

are an exception and he was. You can plot the wages against points.

You can see whether someone just basically spends the money and gets

back what you would expect. That is what Roberto Mancini this season

has done. But Alex Ferguson season after season is outperforming the

money. He's an above-the-curve manager. He was our Manager of the

Season this year. When he look over in 1986 that was the trajectory he

wanted, where did the tipping point come? We have only been doing

statistics for ten years, he clearly had a run-in period. What

is also apparent is Manchester United as an organisation stuck

with him. Lots of organisations, it has happened to Brian McDermott,

Manager of the Month one month and sacked the next. Articlely Acelotti,

in April and March Manager of the Month and sacked in May by Chelsea.

But Alex was allowed to lose two back-to-back titles to Chelsea and

they didn't make him retire. As an organisation they understood that

results compared to the mean, that statistics bounce about but he was

the right manager. Does statistics show that lesson that you stick

with the guy who is failing because consistency is more important than

change? I think consistency is very, very important. I think the fact

that Alex Ferguson has been manager of the club for 26 years

consistently, as you have just pointed out, he had a sticky first

five years. I think they lost 5-1 to Manchester City in the first few

years, there were calls for his head. The manager of the club stuck

with him.S had an interesting change, I felt very sad, like Peter

Schmikel that Alex was retiring. You have David Gill from the club

as CEO and the manager going at the same time. Or a similar time, it is

interesting that they moved so quickly on David Moyes. I had to

correct one thing, the fall in the share price was not as substantial

as the report suggested. By the close it was down about 2%, about

$60 million. Given the significance of the change I think the club has

handled it very well. Certainly in the early days. I think David Moyes

has to be given time, that is the critical issue, coming back to the

point about consistency. That David Moyes will have his ups and downs,

and it is very important that the board give him time to make his

mark as they gave Alex Ferguson the time he needed from 1986. It looks

like we have decided's in the job as of tomorrow? Apart from Sam

Allerdyce he's the only one above the line, he achieves more points

than the money. His resignation, might have pre-empted his decision

by a few days, but he was one of the few people in those jobs who

could decide when he went, rather than the other way around? It was

important to him that he did that. As he has been successful over time

he has become more powerful within the club and within the game. Mark

Hughes is not the only manager to talk in those terms about Alex

Ferguson, because he has people all over football. He was pretty much

unsackable, but I think he wanted to go when he was strong, when he

just won another title. The handing over to David Moyes is part of a

transition. Because he picked him? He is clearly involved in that. He

wants the club to be in good shape. He wants somebody to come in and

build on what he has done. He won't be a back seat driver, he will

definitely be involved, an ambassador and director for the

club. He is a legend. The word "legend" is overused in football.

He is a legend. He's a great believer in history, and the power

of history for the here and now. Manchester United is now an even

bigger club as a result of what he has done today. Because it is the

latest chapter in the legend. bored "brand" is often overused,

but this story has been leading bulletins right across Africa, Asia,

China and the rest of it? Absolutely incredible. If you

follow the Twitter pattern more tweets than when Margaret Thatcher

died a week or so ago. It is quite extraordinary the focus on it.

Manchester United is the biggest brand in world football. We track

1.6 million global fans around the world. Almost half of those around

the world, mainly in the fast- growing market, the called emerging

markets, follow Manchester United with a passion. With the same

passion that Alex Ferguson had as manager. I think that's what marks

him out. He is almost entre pent neural in his zeal for Manchester

United and the brand. I think the - - there is nothing wrong with want

to go win. If that does annoy others and get into trouble with

the BBC that is it. Alex Ferguson would often win titles when

Manchester United were not the best team. This season bizarrely enough

Manchester City beat Manchester United and they were favourites,

the think-tank made them favourites in that game. I want to pick up on

what was said, the entrepeneural spirit, the art socialist who

seemed to despise money and sit atop this �3 billion empire?

didn't despise money, one of the reasons he remained a Labour

supporter and very committed to new Labour was the fact that in a sense

what Tony Blair certainly did was success was not a dirty word. Also

it was perfectly possible to be wealthy as Alex Ferguson is, but

also to have the same socialist values with which he grew up. One

of the reasons he was a successful manager for Manchester United is he

brought those values into the club. That is another reason to go for

David Moyes because he has done something very similar at Everton.

Anyone who has seen Alex Ferguson operating around the ground and the

club, he knows everybody and their kids' names. I'm not saying non-

socialists don't, but that sense of the club being the product of

people, including the fans around the world that you talked about,

that is mean ago lot to him and that is why he has built such a big

institution. You know him better I only know him out of the newspapers.

He's an intelligent person with strong values. A lot of people

think that doesn't in sport, it clearly does, just to receive

better results, it matters on the pitch that a lot of the footballers

aren't that educated but they are very clever. To have to be in order

to do things like calculate the angle required for Van Persie to

score an amazing goal. When Matthew was talking about the revolution, a

footballing revolution was put down in no small part to Alex Ferguson?

He has only played a role in it, satellite television played a role

in it. Which one is bigger, Murdoch or Ferguson? Football went through

a very bad patch. There is Thatcher was not the best Prime Minister for

football. The Premier League did turn it into something different.

Match that to television. Match that to some of the big names in

the game. Let's not forget, we are talking about Alex for various

reasons, but the players are hugely important in that. What he was

always brilliant at was spotting the talent and turning that talent.

He was great at taking good players and turning them into something

very special. Do you think that Manchester United is at the peak of

its brand position right now. Is the only way down from here? It is

worth $3 billion on the exchange. Arsenal is worth about half of that,

$1.5, you look at the Green Bay Packers, they are valued at $1

million. Real Madrid were ranked by Forbes slightly higher in terms of

revenue, Manchester United doesn't have a quote to compare it to. In

terms of brand value Manchester United certainly extremely strong.

It will be a testing time for Manchester United without Alex

faring fare -- Ferguson, without David Gill, strong shirt

sponsorship and ground sponsorship that has been built. It will be a

testing time and this is a transition period. There is no

reason why Manchester United shouldn't go on to be one of the

most powerful, if not the most powerful brands, not just in

football, not just in soccer, but across the whole sports world.

Thank you all very much. Thanks. Pakistan's heading to the polls,

for the first time in the 63 history one democratically elected

Government will be replaced by another. That hasn't stopped it

being the bloodiest election ever. Scores of people have died in

attacks by the Taliban, targeting political parties and candidates.

It has become a battle between democratic and non-democratic

forces that will shape the future direction of the country. We have

been out on the campaign trail with the leading candidates.

With The crowds have gathered here at this hospital in Lahore, where

doctors are keeping Imran Khan under close observation. Last night

he tumbled from a fork lift at an electoraly in the city. He has had

15 stitches and sustained three spinal fractures. The doctors say

he will make a full recovery, he just needs to rest. That is hard,

these are the final showers of the most close low- fought, the most

unpredictable election that Pakistan has ever seen. The big

question now is will Imran Khan's fall cause him to rise in the polls.

There will be a sympathy vote. That is certainly on the minds of his

rivals. His chief challenger, Nawaz Sharif, cancelled his rallies today

in solidarity. It was also a shrewd political move. In the last month

these two men have campaigned the hardest. That's partly because

their parties are not on a Taliban hitlist. There have been almost

daily attacks on other candidates. Even so Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif

are the front-runners this time. We have been following both of them.

In Pakistan election campaigns have always had a carnival atmosphere.

Even here in the North West which has seen some of the worst of

Taliban attacks. But this time only certain politicians have been able

to hold rallies in relative safety. Imran Khan is one of them. He's

drawing huge crowds. REPORTER: How is the campaign going? We are

winning. His critics say he has been able to hold rallies here

because he has been soft on the Taliban. REPORTER: They say you are

not willing to fight the Taliban who are causing the war here?

have been fighting them for nine years and it has got worse. There

is more radicalisation, there is more extremism, there is more

terrorism today than nine years back. Clearly what we are trying to

do to cure this illness is increasing the cancer, it is

spreading. You need to change strategy. The former cricket

captain, well known in the west as a charismatic playboy still limbers

up for a fight. But he leads a different team now, with a very

different message. All the bloodshed here is America's fault

he tells these crowds. He vows to shoot down US drones operating

along the Afghan border and promises to establish a model

Islamic welfare state. That message resonates here in one of the most

conservative parts of Pakistan. Even so, like every other

politician, armed guards form part of his entourage. On every stop he

takes the same message, change. New Pakistan. As he plies across the

country, the confident Khan promises to end corruption and up-

end the political status quo. That is striking a chord unthinkable a

decade ago. In the 2002 elections his Movement for Justice party won

only one seat. His rivals say he's inexperienced, niave, but 60-year-

old Imran Khan thinks his time has come. What you are seeing is a

revolution. This is beyond, if you see the passion, this is not normal

politics. This is an uprising from the grassroots. And what has

happened is that we have completely bypassed the traditional

politicians and the people are moving away from them. There is no

doubting his popularity, but can he win votes without the party

machinery of his more established rivals. For decades people power

used to be the mantra of the Pakistan People's Party. This time

it is mainly campaigning on the past. Rallies of Benazir Bhutto,

executed, and her father also executed. In this Pakistani dynasty

her son heads the party that won the last elections. Taliban threats

mean he has had to leave Pakistan. So he is posting video messages on-

line from Dubai. A party with a poor record in office hasn't had

much of a campaign. Although traditional loyalties still hold in

some areas. But Pakistan's other major political force is still

taking to the road. Nawaz Sharif is a familiar face. I have been

covering his election campaign since 1988. Good to see you again.

How are you? Good. You are back on the campaign trail. He has been

Prime Minister twice, from a family of wealthy industrialists. No

wonder he can afford to travel by private jet. On the plane he reads

the latest reports which predict he will be Prime Minister again. But I

put it to him that Imran Khan and his message of change are

challenging his Pakistan Muslim League, even on his home turf,

Punjab, where elections are won and lost? We are changing and we will

continue to change. We know we have the right team with us. We have a

team of exports, people who have done it before. I think no other

party can claim to have better people than we have in the group

and they are honest. Our team is recognised by everybody in this

country. What if they say if the traditional parties had done a

better job then Pakistan would not be in the trouble it is? We need

mature not immature people. Nawaz Sharif still has strong support.

They shout "Prime Minister" as he arrives at this hotel in Islamabad.

He's here to meet local shopkeeper. But even this business meeting

descends into chaos. They are here because they say Nawaz Sharif is

good for business. He says join him to make Pakistan a prosperous land.

He promises to end the constant power cuts crippling the economy.

And then his favourite punch line. "I play cricket too", but it is not

the only thing he has done, he says. He has also made the atom bomb.

Pakistan went nuclear when he was in office. He knows that line goes

down well here. This contest is possibly the most unpredictable

Pakistan has ever seen. Not just because of new candidates, about 40

million young Pakistanis will be eligible to vote for the first time.

They are entering the debate. really excited for this, and the

Pakistanis are youth-based the majority of the population is young.

This time we have our voices raised for the empowerment of the youth

and the new changes. In large parts of Pakistan Taliban attacks on some

parties are dictating the course of the campaign. They are operating

with impunity. That growing strength will have to be addressed.

No matter who wins. The big issue now is turnout on Saturday. Fear of

attacks could keep many at home. If so, a political force which isn't

on the ballot will have won the day. All the papers going on different

things tomorrow, we will receive leave you with just one, the Sun's

front page, the Hair Dryer After starting the week with warm

sunshine, Thursday's weather is not what you would expect or indeed

hoped for with a deep area of low pressure barreling in from the

Atlantic, bringing strong winds over the southern part of the UK.

With heavy and persistent rain. It will be a breezy day for Northern

Ireland. Brighter spells for the afternoon. But some thundery

showers. Northern Scotland fares pretty well throughout the day.

Probably the best of the sunshine here. There will be showers around

too. The wind comparatively light to the strength of the south.

Northern England wet through the afternoon. Rain pushing into the

Midland. In the east sunny spells across East Anglia and the south-

east of England T won't feel warm. 12-13 are the highs, strong and

gusty winds and a chance of showers. Wettest and windyist through all of

this, the south west of England and Wales. Gusts up to 65 miles around

the Irish Sea coast. 55 miles an hour inland. The rain stick around

for a good part of the day. For Thursday, some of the best of the

sunshine to be found to the far north of the British Isles. By

Friday hopefully we will see something dryer and brighter

pushing into the south. Friday though does bring us another pretty