0:00:06 > 0:00:09Yesterday this programme revealed a culture of abuse and bullying that
0:00:09 > 0:00:11has gone largely unchallenged in the House of Commons.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Tonight, we hear from more Westminster staff who fear
0:00:14 > 0:00:16that the muted response to our revelations shows that
0:00:16 > 0:00:24nothing will change.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31They are known bullies walking around the place and the house seems
0:00:31 > 0:00:32to think they've sorted everything out.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36So what - do we just wait until they do it again and
0:00:36 > 0:00:37report them ad infinitum?
0:00:37 > 0:00:38The investigation intensifies into the poisoning of
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Sergei and Yulia Skripal.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42If the finger points at Moscow, what action can
0:00:42 > 0:00:50the British Government take, and would Russia even care?
0:00:51 > 0:00:54We ask a former Russian MP and Kremlin adviser.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56We understand that you don't like Vladimir Putin
0:00:56 > 0:00:59as president of Russia, because he is making Russia great
0:00:59 > 0:01:03again, as Donald Trump tried to do with the United States of America.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07And as it's announced that the US President will meet the supreme
0:01:07 > 0:01:09leader of North Korea, we get the exclusive
0:01:09 > 0:01:10reaction from Donald Trump.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Or at least somebody who sounds a lot like him.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16It's such an important meeting, usually my pout is here.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20For this meeting it's going to be here.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I've got to bring my A game.
0:01:31 > 0:01:31Good evening.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Downing Street today backed calls for an investigation into complaints
0:01:35 > 0:01:40of bullying made against the Commons speaker John Bercow.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42The Prime Minister, we are told, retains
0:01:42 > 0:01:45confidence in the Speaker, though a spokesman says
0:01:45 > 0:01:47she's "concerned".
0:01:47 > 0:01:51That's because last night Newsnight revealed complaints
0:01:51 > 0:01:53against Mr Bercow and two other MPs.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56And tonight it's emerged an MP is planning to ask an urgent
0:01:56 > 0:01:59question in Parliament on Monday about those allegations.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04The Green Party's Caroline Lucas believes there's cross-party support
0:02:04 > 0:02:07for a change in the way Parliament deals with complaints
0:02:07 > 0:02:09from its staffers.
0:02:09 > 0:02:15Chris Cook and Lucinda Day reported yesterday, on the frustrations
0:02:15 > 0:02:18of Commons clerks who believe parliament turns a blind eye
0:02:18 > 0:02:19to bad behaviour from MPs.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Today, they've been hearing from staff at Westminster, who say
0:02:21 > 0:02:29the reaction to last night's report shows nothing's changed.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35The MP exploded at me so aggressively that my colleagues
0:02:35 > 0:02:38stood between us to physically shield him from me.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I didn't feel that there was anywhere for me to go
0:02:41 > 0:02:44to talk about it.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49He was particularly nasty to those he felt were below him.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52He went mad at me. It got very personal.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Newsnight revealed yesterday that there is a
0:02:54 > 0:02:57serious rot in Westminster.
0:02:57 > 0:03:05Bullying and harassment by MPs.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10And it's directed a shocking amount at clerks.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12The apolitical staff who umpire and run the lower house.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14And women clerks in particular.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15Last night Newsnight reported that three MPs
0:03:15 > 0:03:16have been accused of bullying clerks.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21Mark Pritchard, Paul Farrelly and John Bercow.
0:03:21 > 0:03:29All of them deny the claims made against them.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32There's more interest in John Bercow than the other two, because he
0:03:32 > 0:03:35is in effect the boss of the clerks and it's
0:03:35 > 0:03:37his job in part to fix the culture of Westminster.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39As it happens today was a training day for
0:03:39 > 0:03:43clerks, an opportunity for managers to win back worried staff.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48They didn't do very well.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51The house management did send out an e-mail to
0:03:51 > 0:03:54staff though, saying that harassment and bullying of any kind is
0:03:54 > 0:03:56totally unacceptable.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59They reassured staff that the current system, introduced
0:03:59 > 0:04:02in 2014, means things are very different now to the way they
0:04:02 > 0:04:03used to be.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Here, though, is what serving staff think of that.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11We have been sent written testimony from them this evening.
0:04:11 > 0:04:18After that e-mail went out, and after today's training day.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24As a Commons employee, I'm disappointed although not surprised
0:04:24 > 0:04:28at the House's dismissal of the issues raised in your report.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30The house's response means I've lost
0:04:30 > 0:04:32any favour may have had for a complaint made under the current
0:04:32 > 0:04:35respect policy would achieve anything positive for the staff
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Since 2014, 17 cases have been raised under the new HR policy.
0:05:02 > 0:05:08None has got as far as workplace mediation.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12No MPs have been sanctioned.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Any process has to demonstrate an MP being disciplined
0:05:15 > 0:05:18in a meaningful way.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Remember lots of clerks have had reason for
0:05:22 > 0:05:30complaints about lots of MPs.
0:05:40 > 0:05:48This topic is not going away.
0:06:03 > 0:06:11There this political excitement about
0:06:11 > 0:06:15whether specific MPs are bullied.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16And Chris is here.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Chris, we'll come to you in a moment.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19But first, we're also joined by Amy Leversidge.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21She's the Assistant General Secretary of the First
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Division Association, which is the union which represents
0:06:23 > 0:06:31many of the civil servants who work inside parliament.
0:06:32 > 0:06:41Let's start off with, what is your view of the situation? Your union
0:06:41 > 0:06:46hears things, too. How bad is it compare to a Whitehall department?
0:06:46 > 0:06:52That is an interesting question. As trade union officials we hear
0:06:52 > 0:06:57stories about bullying and harassment across the piece. What's
0:06:57 > 0:07:00different about the House of Commons is that it is a completely different
0:07:00 > 0:07:06employer. You have got the employer and the staff, but you have also got
0:07:06 > 0:07:11MPs who are not employees, they are elected. That is the difference die
0:07:11 > 0:07:17mention about the House of Commons. -- dimension. You have got people
0:07:17 > 0:07:25doing the bullying and MPs who are not employees of the house.Also,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29their reserve onto themselves the right to be the final judges. You've
0:07:29 > 0:07:33helped, along with the others involved in the process, to try and
0:07:33 > 0:07:42reform the system. 2007, 2011, 2014, the so-called respect policy. Why
0:07:42 > 0:07:48has that not stopped the problem of bullying?In 2014, we work really
0:07:48 > 0:07:57hard on the respect policy in the House. The unions at the time worked
0:07:57 > 0:08:03as hard as they could to get the best deal possible. But the policy
0:08:03 > 0:08:07still is flawed fundamentally because there is no independent body
0:08:07 > 0:08:12that oversees what happens with the MPs. That is the problem. Obviously
0:08:12 > 0:08:16it's really important that staff have trust and confidence in any
0:08:16 > 0:08:20system. They will only have trust and confidence if there is an
0:08:20 > 0:08:24independent oversight into what happens with MPs.Quite. Under the
0:08:24 > 0:08:33current laws, and MP has to cause damage to get the reputation of the
0:08:33 > 0:08:39House as a whole. It is a pretty high bar. Has any MP been charged
0:08:39 > 0:08:43with causing damage to the House as a whole?This is one of the
0:08:43 > 0:08:50fundamental problems. It is a very high bar.No is the answer.Yes.How
0:08:50 > 0:08:55do you give it the independents, how do you change the machinery in order
0:08:55 > 0:08:59to create that independent oversight?We want to work with the
0:08:59 > 0:09:02employers and the other trade unions to sort out this and find solutions
0:09:02 > 0:09:09to the problems. We need to have a policy that has got the trust and
0:09:09 > 0:09:14confidence of the staff. As you report shows, it cannot be right,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16absolutely inappropriate that we have got dedicated public servants
0:09:16 > 0:09:22who leave their jobs rather than raising these issues. That's not
0:09:22 > 0:09:25good for the House of Commons either. They are losing these
0:09:25 > 0:09:32experienced staff. We can't come up with those solutions on our own in
0:09:32 > 0:09:37the time with God. So what we need to do is work together. They need to
0:09:37 > 0:09:41involve the trade unions. They need to involve ourselves and the others
0:09:41 > 0:09:47to work together to find those solutions.Do you think it'll end up
0:09:47 > 0:09:51with an outside panel being the arbiters?That is what we would like
0:09:51 > 0:09:56to see. An independent body that allows their to be proper scrutiny
0:09:56 > 0:10:00and proper redress for people. It can't be right that MPs are
0:10:00 > 0:10:05basically marking their own homework.Absolutely. That is a
0:10:05 > 0:10:10proposal. Where does this actually go from here, Chris, in terms of
0:10:10 > 0:10:15bringing about any real change?The big thing next week as Parliament
0:10:15 > 0:10:19coming back. We published last night. The House wasn't around
0:10:19 > 0:10:23today. MPs were in their constituencies. We are expecting an
0:10:23 > 0:10:27urgent question on Monday from Caroline Lucas. There seems to be a
0:10:27 > 0:10:30lot of focus on John Bercow personally partly because the
0:10:30 > 0:10:36Speaker of the House has a tricky reputation with some members of the
0:10:36 > 0:10:41House. He is perceived by Tory MPs as being April Labour speaker. What
0:10:41 > 0:10:46we are expecting next week is a lot of his existing critics, who have
0:10:46 > 0:10:53cold frame to resign over a series of things before, to use this as
0:10:53 > 0:10:57another opportunity to call to resign. We spoke to one of those MPs
0:10:57 > 0:10:59who has previously called for him to resign.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Well, I think next week lots of members of Parliament will be
0:11:02 > 0:11:04wanting to ask questions in the chamber, wherever they can
0:11:04 > 0:11:08into these allegations.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13The Speaker needs to be above the fray.
0:11:13 > 0:11:22the clerks and these are very, very serious allegations.
0:11:23 > 0:11:31I think one of the questions about this is going to be about the
0:11:31 > 0:11:36interesting the horse race politics of individual MPs being revealed to
0:11:36 > 0:11:46be unpleasant individuals, that might derail what is being done, and
0:11:46 > 0:11:49attempts to fix the workplace.I'm sure you will keep us posted. Thank
0:11:49 > 0:11:51you.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Police investigating the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal have
0:11:54 > 0:11:56expanded their search in Salisbury, and called the military
0:11:56 > 0:11:57in for good measure.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Officers in protective clothing have sealed off the graves
0:12:01 > 0:12:02of Skripal's wife and son.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08The Army has gone to pick up ambulances that were used
0:12:08 > 0:12:14to take those affected by the poisons to hospital.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Tomorrow the Home Secretary will share an emergency meeting of Cobra.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20While all this activity goes on, scientists just a few miles up
0:12:20 > 0:12:23the road at Porton Down have begun the business of analysing nerve
0:12:23 > 0:12:25agent samples, in the hope of finding out where
0:12:25 > 0:12:26the chemicals were produced.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29If the finger points at Russia, the pressure for some sort
0:12:29 > 0:12:37of response will be intense.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Are you considering measures against Russia?
0:12:42 > 0:12:45As the foreign trip -- Foreign Secretary suggested earlier this
0:12:45 > 0:12:48week Britain's participation in the World Cup could get dragged into
0:12:48 > 0:12:53this.Thinking ahead to the World Cup this summer, I think it would be
0:12:53 > 0:12:57very difficult to imagine that UK representation at that event could
0:12:57 > 0:13:02go ahead in the normal way. We would certainly have to consider that.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06However, the Kremlin is hardly going to lose sleep at the prospect of
0:13:06 > 0:13:10losing a few British officials from its World Cup. Meanwhile, in
0:13:10 > 0:13:15Salisbury things have moved on. Scientists at Porton down have no
0:13:15 > 0:13:20established details of the nerve agent used on British streets.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Listening to Amber Rudd this morning, it's clear they are no
0:13:22 > 0:13:28moving on to where it came from.At the moment our priority is going to
0:13:28 > 0:13:32be the incident, which is why I'm here in Salisbury today, making sure
0:13:32 > 0:13:37that everybody is protected around here, around the incident. Making
0:13:37 > 0:13:39sure the emergency services have had the support they need and will
0:13:39 > 0:13:43continue to get it on going. It has been great to hear that is the case.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47In terms of further options, that will have to wait until we are
0:13:47 > 0:13:51absolutely clear what the consequences could be and what the
0:13:51 > 0:13:55actual source of this nerve agent has been.With the military
0:13:55 > 0:14:00deploying onto the streets of Salisbury to help the police with
0:14:00 > 0:14:03decontamination, there's no doubt about the seriousness of the
0:14:03 > 0:14:07situation. But if Downing Street is preparing to point the finger at
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Russia, what are they thinking of doing about it? There has been
0:14:11 > 0:14:16discussion of further economic sanctions. Suggestions also that the
0:14:16 > 0:14:25UK should enact a so-called law. This kind of legislation has been
0:14:25 > 0:14:28used in the US to target Russian officials suspected of human rights
0:14:28 > 0:14:33violations. Britain could target for asset freezes and target bands --
0:14:33 > 0:14:37travel bans Russians it holds responsible for the Salisbury
0:14:37 > 0:14:42attack. It may go beyond that. With the UK officials sharing with allies
0:14:42 > 0:14:45their preliminary assessment of where the nerve agent came from, it
0:14:45 > 0:14:51may be a bigger sporting boycott reminiscent of Olympic ones in which
0:14:51 > 0:14:55allies would be asked to join us.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56Earlier, I spoke with Sergei Markov.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59He was an MP in Vladimir Putin's party, United Russia.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02He's now director of the Institute for Political Studies in Moscow,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and retains close ties to the Kremlin.
0:15:06 > 0:15:14I asked him how news of Mr Skripal's poisoning had gone down in Russia.
0:15:14 > 0:15:25Er of course it is awful that this gentleman and specifically his
0:15:25 > 0:15:30daughter can die because of poisoning. It's awful. Russian
0:15:30 > 0:15:40public opinion reacted not to the Sergei Skripal case but to the great
0:15:40 > 0:15:43propagandist atmosphere in the British atmosphere demonising Russia
0:15:43 > 0:15:56again. But we want to ask British journalists and British politicians,
0:15:56 > 0:16:05please, keep professional. Don't violate freedom of speech. Don't
0:16:05 > 0:16:14speed up a propagandist campaign so highly. Please take into account
0:16:14 > 0:16:18that we should establish such a relationship and of course Sergei
0:16:18 > 0:16:26Skripal was a negative figure for Russia because he betrayed us that
0:16:26 > 0:16:35Russia is a 21st century country. The fact is, actually, the British
0:16:35 > 0:16:39government is not yet accusing Russia of doing it, although we do
0:16:39 > 0:16:45see some indications that they are preparing to do so. But at the same
0:16:45 > 0:16:50time, we see commentators on the first channel, the Russian official
0:16:50 > 0:16:54state media and indeed President Putin himself to some extent hinting
0:16:54 > 0:16:59that traitors get their just rewards. Do you believe that too?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Because at the beginning of this interview you expressed some
0:17:03 > 0:17:10sympathy for Sergei Skripal and his daughter.I expressed sympathy as a
0:17:10 > 0:17:18Christian believer who doesn't want anyone to die. Yet at the same
0:17:21 > 0:17:23anyone to die. Yet at the same time, we were told that the profession of
0:17:23 > 0:17:31traitor is very dangerous. It is even more dangerous than a member of
0:17:31 > 0:17:41a drug market or so on. It is true, everyone knows about this.
0:17:41 > 0:17:47everyone knows about this. It is not to threaten other traitors, but and
0:17:47 > 0:17:53has an effect which everybody knows. I hear your point about, as a
0:17:53 > 0:17:58Christian believer, you do not wish harm on him, but do you think we
0:17:58 > 0:18:01will effectively see a Russian official position that we didn't do
0:18:01 > 0:18:06it but he got what he deserved. It seems to me like an obvious
0:18:06 > 0:18:11contradiction.
0:18:12 > 0:18:21contradiction.It's absolutely clear, the Russian position, by
0:18:21 > 0:18:23clear, the Russian position, by the way, we got this gentleman but we
0:18:23 > 0:18:29decided to give him to the United States and to Britain, and it's all
0:18:29 > 0:18:41for us. We want to forget about Sergei Skripal,. He had already
0:18:41 > 0:18:50broke his life when he decided to betray Russia and to cooperate with
0:18:50 > 0:18:56British intelligence services. 'S and that's a victory for the British
0:18:56 > 0:19:03intelligence service. It is how we see this. We see that Sergei
0:19:03 > 0:19:11Skripal, he's just a result of the 1990s. What can we do? We cannot
0:19:11 > 0:19:15close history.Well let's look forward specifically to the next few
0:19:15 > 0:19:21days and weeks. If the British government, as seems likely, points
0:19:21 > 0:19:26finger at Russia and then starts to threaten retaliation in different
0:19:26 > 0:19:31forms, sanctions, or gay sporting boycott of the World Cup, for
0:19:31 > 0:19:48example, how will that be in Russia? It will be received in Russia as a
0:19:48 > 0:19:54pity, or the next step of a war against Russia. We understand that
0:19:54 > 0:19:57you don't like Vladimir Putin as President of Russia because he is
0:19:57 > 0:20:01making Russia great again. As Donald Trump is trying to do with the
0:20:01 > 0:20:06United States of America. But we are supporting Vladimir Putin exactly
0:20:06 > 0:20:14for this reason. And if you attack the Russian President Vladimir Putin
0:20:14 > 0:20:21and demonise him, we will support him more. Because we understand very
0:20:21 > 0:20:27well and you are criticising Mr Putin exactly for the things that we
0:20:27 > 0:20:37like about them. I want to repeat again, Sergei Skripal needs a real
0:20:37 > 0:20:42investigation.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46investigation. Police, control the intelligence services. You are
0:20:46 > 0:20:49British citizens. You are not controlling your intelligence
0:20:49 > 0:20:53services. Look what happened with Ukraine. Look at what happened in
0:20:53 > 0:21:04Syria when your spies cooperated with terrorists.We will leave it
0:21:04 > 0:21:09there.Democracy, come back to Great Britain. Don't leave it to
0:21:09 > 0:21:14terrorists to do what they are doing without controlling the British
0:21:14 > 0:21:19people.Sergei Markov, thank you for joining us. That was Sergei Markov
0:21:19 > 0:21:26speaking earlier from Minsk.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Now, good news if you work in a certain aircraft
0:21:28 > 0:21:30factory in Lancashire - not so good maybe
0:21:30 > 0:21:31if you live in Yemen.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34As Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman rounded off
0:21:34 > 0:21:37a trip to the UK tonight, his country has signed a letter
0:21:37 > 0:21:39of intent to buy 48 more Typhoon fighters from BAE Systems.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Britain is under fire from human rights groups
0:21:41 > 0:21:48for arming Saudi Arabia, at the same time as Mr bin Salman,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50one of the architects of the Yemen war is portrayed by his country's
0:21:50 > 0:21:52media as the kingdom's best hope for human rights,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56reform and renewal.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Today's announcements about the planes followed
0:22:00 > 0:22:04meetings with Theresa May, Boris Johnson and the Queen.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Earlier, I spoke to Sherard Cowper Coles,
0:22:08 > 0:22:16formerly British ambassador to Saudi and former consult to BAE.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I asked him if this deal was good news for people
0:22:22 > 0:22:23in factories across the UK.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Yes, good news for the British economy, but also good news for
0:22:26 > 0:22:28British influence in the Middle East.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Good news for our relationship with Saudi Arabia.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Good news for a Britain leaving the European Union,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36still to be a player in this sort of area.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40And the question you have to ask is, if we hadn't gone ahead with
0:22:40 > 0:22:46this order, what would have happened to our relationship?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48But also, where else would they have gone?
0:22:48 > 0:22:52But if the UK hadn't gone ahead, would it in a
0:22:52 > 0:22:54sense have cleaner hands, because Saudi Arabia is now involved
0:22:54 > 0:22:55in this war in Yemen?
0:22:55 > 0:22:56It's a humanitarian disaster.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58They're bombing civilians with British-made weapons.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01It's surely becoming a bit more toxic for this
0:23:01 > 0:23:02country, in that sense?
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Well, it is for everyone.
0:23:04 > 0:23:10The key is, do we want to retain influence?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Do we want to help bring about a peaceful settlement?
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Do we want to remain a player?
0:23:14 > 0:23:15And selling more weapons helps?
0:23:15 > 0:23:17The alternative is not selling weapons.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21This is about the world as it is, not as we would like it to be.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23And we could break off our relationship
0:23:23 > 0:23:26with Saudi Arabia.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28We could have not had this week's visit.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30But we have had no influence,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33no, we wouldn't have been a player in the Middle East.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38When you were ambassador in Riyadh, a decade plus
0:23:38 > 0:23:42ago, was it more like the world as one might have wanted it?
0:23:42 > 0:23:48Was it an easier, less controversial relationship?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I think when I was ambassador there I was trying to
0:23:51 > 0:23:52encourage change.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54I remember briefing British ministers to raise
0:23:54 > 0:23:57the need to move forward on women's rights,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02to move forward on social rights, to move forward on education.
0:24:02 > 0:24:10And now we have a leader at last in Saudi Arabia who is doing
0:24:10 > 0:24:16what every friend of Saudi Arabia...
0:24:16 > 0:24:17The crown prince is doing
0:24:17 > 0:24:19what we have all urged him to do.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Do you think he is for real?
0:24:21 > 0:24:22He is definitely for real.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Highly intelligent, very enthusiastic, very
0:24:23 > 0:24:24curious.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25Very decisive, very young.
0:24:25 > 0:24:31Someone who needs friends, needs supporters, who needs people around
0:24:31 > 0:24:35him to help him deliver this vision.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Someone immensely popular in his country.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39But there is another interpretation, isn't there?
0:24:39 > 0:24:40Some Western friendly steps, like allowing women
0:24:40 > 0:24:43to drive, allowing cinemas.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48But a rate of public executions that is higher than ever.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53And indeed an anti-corruption drive, which, when you talk to some Saudis,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57just seems to be like a shakedown operation
0:24:57 > 0:24:59to bring in a lot of money from rival princes.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04Well, as I say, you take the world as it is, not
0:25:04 > 0:25:07as you'd like it to be. It is an imperfect world.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10But here is somebody who is delivering reform.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It is not a question of it being Western
0:25:12 > 0:25:14friendly reform. It is people friendly reform.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19It is what the young people of Saudi Arabia want.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21And we need to use our influence with him, administering tough love
0:25:21 > 0:25:25in private to get the kinds of results we want.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27And tough love, does that mean saying to him in
0:25:27 > 0:25:31private, "Get out of Yemen, solve this Yemen problem quickly -
0:25:31 > 0:25:33because it is extremely damaging to the image of
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Saudi Arabia and the UK, providing you with weapons?"
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Well, it's not a question of the image of Saudi Arabia.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It's a question of the right solution for Yemen, for the
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Arabian Peninsula, for the region as a whole.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49You need to remember, Mark, that Saudi Arabia is actually
0:25:49 > 0:25:52threatened from Yemen. Rockets have been fired from Yemen.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55It is now.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57They are firing missiles, but that was after Saudi began
0:25:57 > 0:25:58its intervention.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Those attacks were coming across the border before
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Saudi intervened.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07This is part of a perfectly legitimate operation.
0:26:07 > 0:26:15A lot of people will tell you that the
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is the architect of this
0:26:23 > 0:26:28disastrous intervention in Yemen.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Is he therefore the man to get Saudi Arabia out of it?
0:26:31 > 0:26:33He is absolutely someone we need to work with.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36I'm quite sure Yemen was high on the agenda.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38It was not just lecturing the Saudis just to get out
0:26:38 > 0:26:41of Yemen and leave behind chaos, but work with everyone involved to
0:26:41 > 0:26:43produce a solution that delivers stability, that delivers security
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and above all delivers some relief for the poor suffering people of
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Yemen on all sides.
0:26:47 > 0:26:53Sherard Cowper Coles, thank you so much.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56That was the former ambassador to Saudi Arabia. A moment for
0:26:56 > 0:27:02tomorrow's papers. Some of you old school viewers may enjoy it when we
0:27:02 > 0:27:07do this. The daily Mirror leading on the Sergei Skripal story and the
0:27:07 > 0:27:14fact that they have now sealed off the graves of his wife and son. The
0:27:14 > 0:27:19Financial Times also promises its readers a long read on the poisoning
0:27:19 > 0:27:23of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia and the police officer who
0:27:23 > 0:27:28went to help them but their lead is the White House- North Korea summit
0:27:28 > 0:27:33plan. The White House trying to deny the Koreans, a sort of PR win on
0:27:33 > 0:27:38that one. The i newspaper has, once again, the nuclear gamble with North
0:27:38 > 0:27:44Korea. I suppose, reflecting the idea that the talks could promise
0:27:44 > 0:27:49much but what will President Trump say when he gets into the room. And
0:27:49 > 0:27:54finally the Daily Mail goes its own sweet way, council parking charges
0:27:54 > 0:28:01soaring. That's all on the front pages.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Donald Trump really has had quite a week.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Few in the White House or even the Pentagon were expecting his shock
0:28:09 > 0:28:13announcement that he is to meet with Kim Jong-un. We are told the meeting
0:28:13 > 0:28:18could take place before May. Certainly a major gamble so what is
0:28:18 > 0:28:23the president thinking of? To help work out what he might have planned
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Newsnight Cordoba earlier with Mr Trump himself. At least we're pretty
0:28:26 > 0:28:33sure was him. Emily is here on Monday. Have a great weekend.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35I thought Mark Urban was great tonight.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37I thought he was really first class.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39He's a great rapper, great guy, very lucky man being
0:28:39 > 0:28:41married to Nicole Kidman.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43What are we talking about?
0:28:43 > 0:28:49This is going to be a very friendly meeting.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50It's going to be very charming.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52It's going to be so bigly convivial you
0:28:52 > 0:28:53would not believe it.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54We will exchange gifts.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Kim Jong-un will give to me a Korean piece of vintage pottery.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03I will give to Kim Jong-un vintage American porn star Stormy Daniels.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05It's a fair exchange. It's such an important meeting.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Usually my pout is here.
0:29:08 > 0:29:16For this meeting it's going to be here.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20I've gotta bring my A game.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It's going to be a very important meeting.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23We've got a lot to discuss.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27It's going to go on for over an hour - which is longer than most
0:29:27 > 0:29:29of my White House communication chiefs, but there you go.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31This will be the perfect opportunity to invite
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Kim Jong-un on a state visit to America.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Come on the golf course, let's have some fun.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37I'll give you lots of bowler hats that
0:29:37 > 0:29:40you can throw at people, just like the guy out of Goldfinger.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42It's going to be so much fun.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44There are bigly big differences we've got to resolve.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45Kim Jong-un wanted to destroy America.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47He's just jealous I got there first.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49And thank you for calling me a dotard.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52I don't know what that is, but if it's good, then I'm in.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Are we done?
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Next on the failing BBC, fake weather or the test card,