04/11/2015 The Papers

Hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the the papers

With me are Isabel Hardman, Assistant Editor at the Spectator

and James Lyons, Deputy Political Editor at the Sunday Times.

One story dominating, let's talk you through the front pages, as we have

them. The Telegraph is reporting on the British tourists minutes away

from take-off and who now find themselves stranded in Sharm

el-Sheikh in Egypt after the British Government suspended all flights in

and out of the resort. The Guardian says the Government was acting on

specific intelligence relating to the crash, which it received in the

last 24 hours. The Mirror has the stark headline, it's not safe to fly

home. The Times reports and comments from American intelligence sources

that Islamic State was responsible for blowing up the plane. The Metro

says Government concerns stem from its own intelligence sources rather

than anything coming out of the crash investigation in Egypt. And,

the only paper not to feature the plane crash, leads instead on pleas

from the National Grid for heavy users of

Let's start off with the Guardian, consumption after an unexpected

Let's start off with the Guardian, this is a huge story which broke in

good time for all the papers. All papers able to get together some

pretty comprehensive analysis. The question is why have the

government decided to suspend flights now when the plane came down

over the weekend? The answer is they have had intelligence not part of

the flight investigation that led them to believe they had to, as a

precautionary measure, to suspend the flights. This is uneven of the

visit of President Sisi. The Egyptian president here for a

visit, embarrassing timing? The Egyptians are already up in arms

about the decision so it will be an uncomfortable meeting tomorrow. It

will be a body blow for tourism in Egypt's, which is already reeling?

20,000 people stuck out there now and the Foreign Office has changed

its advice this evening, which has said Sharm el Sheikh, no longer

consider it safe. As far as I can can see from reports around, the

bars are open restaurants are open and there doesn't seem to be any

heightened security. You have been there several times? I have been

through Sharm several times. I wasn't too concerned. There is a

history of these problems in the region. Sharm has been targeted, a

resort of the coast, there were suicide attacks there in 2006 which

killed 23 people. It will not come as a surprise there are risks in

this area. I was reading this morning, Gove's wife had been

planning a winter break and cancelled on the last-minute on a

gut instinct, so there you go. Isabel, the Metro, bomb alert,

grounds Sharm flights. What they were saying is, the statement from

Downing Street we had, it may well have been brought down by an

explosive device. What an unusual statement by Number Ten? Yes, given

the Egyptians and the Russians at the weekend said they didn't think

it was the results of a terrorist package. The plane itself

disintegrated in the air, I suppose the airline company are relieved at

least one country is starting to raise again, the possibility of

terrorist activities. It is saying in the Metro, it is understood the

concerns are from Britain's own intelligence sources but I

understand it could be some satellite imagery the US got hold of

which they may have shared with us, which showed a flash in the sky. The

Egyptians saying this is an overreaction by the British

government, but if you are a Prime Minister or a Foreign Secretary, it

is hard to take any risk when you think perhaps the airport security

there at Sharm el Sheikh is not up to scratch? This is why politicians

have such a difficult job. If they hadn't suspended flights and

something happens, you can imagine the reaction when the press here

find out there had been intelligence that had been passed to the British,

suggesting it might have been something to do with terrorism. You

can totally understand why they have taken that decision. It is awkward

in terms of relations with Egypt. You have seen the impact on other

countries that have had terrorist action, Tunisia for example. It

comes after they put a security team on the ground to check out the

airport. This comes as news from the Home Secretary's wanting new

surveillance powers for the intelligence agencies. In some ways

she might think this backs up her case the security services do need

modernised, up today intelligence gathering techniques, in order to

combat terrorism? In Westminster this afternoon when news of this

filtered out before flights were suspended, Downing Street were

suggesting terrorism was involved, some of my more cynical colleagues

thought it might have been a coincidence, but I think we can

discount that. The Guardian are reporting tonight, although Labour

have given a warm welcome to the package they think is a lot more

moderate than what they were expecting, there is some judicial

oversight, the extent of the information retained isn't as fast

as was feared by many. Let's rattle through the others. The Financial

Times, pretty close to power cuts, if you believe this. National Grid

in an emergency plea that the heavy users, industry, to power-down? Yes,

asking heavy industry to switch to rack up generators to ensure supply.

If you go further down in this story, I assume this is because we

didn't have enough power stations and needed to build more, but there

is another angle to this. The problem with the energy supply has

been caused in part because electricity prices are too low to

get supplies incentive to use capacity at short notice. The

Telegraph, James, they have speeding fines. The police will use speeding

fines to raise money? This is a more honest approach many forces have

used in the past. Beds police talking about zero tolerance

approach. Anyone going over 75 Leader of the House 70 miles an hour

will get a fine. It comes in the midst of a cash crisis. Even if you

are doing 71, low margin for error. Talking about slippers, they are

back? It is on the front page of the Telegraph, they are still in fashion

despite underfloor heating and lovely carpets. I am sure James has

a pipe and slippers waiting at home for him after this. Not quite. Do

you wear slippers, ever, Isabel, do you wear slippers? I am a fan of

big, sparkly bed socks. The perfect Christmas present, a pair of

slippers? I am at this stage in my life where all I want is a bottle of

scotch and some socks. Good to talk to, we will be back in an hour to

review the papers. James and Isabel, many thanks. Coming up next, it is

time for sports