11/08/2014 The Papers

commentator. And we have the start of the capital

one cup. That is all in Sportsday. Welcome to our lookahead at what the

papers will be bringing us tomorrow morning. With me are the FT's Deputy

political editor Beth Rigby and John Kampfner, director of the creative

industries Federation. The Telegraph leads with the news that trials are

under way on a new drug that would allow damaged hearts to recover

without the need for major surgery. A migration warning in the Express,

that claims thousands are massing to cross the Channel.

The Guardian says that Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al`Maliki appears to

have lost his job in the wake of jihadists sweeping across the north

of the country. A story we've been covering this

evening on the News Channel ` the woman who's baby buggy was swept

onto the tube lines ` is the image that dominates the front of The

Metro. And the same image on the front of

The Mail. You can see some stills. The paper also claims the Human

Rights Act allowed judges, they say, to make up the law.

The crisis in Iraq dominates the front of The Times, which says armed

RAF aircraft will be assisting the US in their operations in the north

of the country. More Iraq in The Mirror with a plea

from the refugees fleeing the Islamists in IS saying "Save Us".

And also on the front of the independent. An image of Yazidis

fleeing the jihadists with the paper saying the country is descending

into chaos as Britain prepares to intervene. Let us begin with the

times. And what it has to say about Britain's role, potentially

expanding role, in Iraq. The story tonight from the UK's perspective is

the UK are sending fighter bombers to actually drop aid. The government

line is holding at the moment. At this time, they do not anticipate

any military intervention beyond humanitarian aid. They are also

giving assistance to the US in terms of surveillance. John, do you think

that can hold given the pressure was to ``? .

There are MPs, particularly those Christian, saying our brothers and

sisters of the faith are being slaughtered. We know how reluctant

Parliament was to get involved in Syria. And also, the convention in

Parliament is for any boots on the ground anyway, there must be a

recalling of Parliament. That is something the Prime Minister will be

reluctant to do. There is still some milage to go with President Obama

and his statement this evening. It was not ready in the American

population at all. `` readying. Your instinct is the UK would not jump

ahead of the United States? We did in Libya, but it was cleared with

the Americans. It was planned for quite sometime, the contingency. The

jury is out. That is polite. Libya has gone down pretty fast since

then. Afghanistan was anything but a success. We know the consequences of

Iraq. The instinct to intervene is quite understandable. It is quite

legitimate. Then what? And you end up owning it if you do intervene.

Let us look at your paper, the Financial Times. It has Iraq stuffed

dominating the Financial Times. It is not just holding back the Islamic

State fighters, it is the government appears to be at war with itself.

This is the developing story tonight. You saw that with the

statement from Obama. He talks about the changes in Iraq. Nouri

al`Maliki, the Prime Minister, has been replaced by the Deputy Speaker.

He was educated in Manchester. The issue that the FT are raising is

whether or not this is an emerging political crisis. Nouri al`Maliki

says he does not want to go. The issue is whether he has any sway

with the militarily. Militia groups have been mobilised on the streets.

There are fears he might use force to retain leadership. There is an

increased security presence on the streets of a date. `` Baghdad. What

is worrying about this, Obama in the statement talked about inclusive

government. People in Iraq would argue the sectarian nature with

which Nouri al`Maliki ruled Iraq has given space for this insurgency. We

have got the picture on the front cover. Let us look at the caption.

Yazidis fleeing. It is interesting, we have this patchwork of different

interests in Iraq. It has always been there. Part of the Constitution

was trying to stitch it together. With all the external pressures,

never mind the political one, the stitching is coming to part. ``

apart. That is one of the unintended consequences of the military

intervention. If you go across the Middle East, the most unpleasant,

vicious, Thai radical dictators, whether you are talking about Saddam

Hussein, Hosni Mubarak, Bashar al`Assad in Syria, they kept all the

sectarian divides together, simply by having a police state and killing

or putting in prison anybody who caused any trouble. Once the genie

is out of the bottle, this is the consequence. It takes decades, it

will take decades of nationbuilding. Moving on to

domestic news with the Guardian. Interesting story. This is the

Labour Party trying to take the initiative on education. Giving some

people sleepless nights. Parents. Your daughter is waiting for her

results? You will be interested in this. The Labour Party saying,

contrary to Michael Gove's plans to scrap AS`level is, it wants to

retain them? I think the idea of, I went through, everything hinges on

the final bit. It does not suit some people. I thought we had moved on. I

am interested in what appears to be them being quite cautious. This is

probably one of those stories where they will accentuate what they will

do and play down what they will leave alone. There are some elements

of the reform that they will keep. But everything depends on the final

call. There are many 17 and 18 `year`olds to develop at such

different cases. `` pieces. There is the idea that the AS`level was

thought to be better for those pupils who might not otherwise get

to higher education. That is something people recruiting for

universities and other institutions have valued. That might be lost. We

are seeing a shrinking of university places anyway. A worry for those

parents who may have children of that age in a few years. Labour

placed the stories in the Guardian because they are pushing an open

door. The point that you raised, this is cutting social mobility. It

is a regimented, Victorian system where children who take longer to

develop or children who are more disadvantaged are being shut out

before they even have a chance to have a go. I think it is very

politically, labour are going to go big on education into the election.

Not least because Michael Gove has become so toxic in some quarters,

particularly with the teachers, that he has been shuffled out of his job.

He is the leading reformist of the Tories. Even if Labour do not win

the next election, we have had as much reform as we can take for now?

The other thing that is interesting where the Tories want to go,

although Michael Gove has been controversial, what public policy

can they really go on? They cannot do the NHS. They are not strong on

the NHS. David Cameron tied into the aspirational nation stuff.

Moving on to the Daily Mail. The story about the buggy being swept

onto the tracks. Amazing pictures. Police want people to say, it is

dangerous to jump on the rails. It is hard to imagine what a parent in

this situation would otherwise do. Anything could have happened. What

was the alternative? Stand there and watch. A split`2nd decision. She

acted on instinct. 99% of people would have done the same thing.

Whatever you see struggling in the water, you just have to do it.

Obviously they have to say that. Nobody is endorsing jumping on the

tracks. I heard this on the way in on the radio. I asked in the car. It

is absolutely horrifying. An amazing mother, if it were my toddler on the

tracks, you would just do it. You would not think, this is too

dangerous. People will be talking about this. The thing over briefly.

`` flipping. The Minister leaving because he cannot afford to bring

his family down to London when he is stuck hair. The Daily Telegraph have

put a spin on it. They led the campaign with the expenses scandal

which brought about the new reforms. Under the new reforms, MPs who rent

a flat in London and have a constituency miles away at have

limited amount of money to spend at home. He says, I cannot have my

children in London with me. We really are scraping the bottom of

the barrel. It is August and it is summer. Deckchairs being widened.

Even though I have been on a diet, I am having problems with the chess in

the studio. `` chair is. 36 inch wide. Airlines in the United States

have widened shares as well. That is the way of the demographic. It makes

me wonder if they might charge more for it. Can you imagine how

depressing that would be? Can I have the super`size, please? That is not

to happen to us, we are both on diets. Thank you so much to both of

you. Stay with us. At midnight, the latest from Iraq as western airdrops

continue to help refugees. Coming up next, Sportsday.