18/02/2017 The Papers

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

With me is the political commentator, Vincent Moss

and the broadcaster, Charlie Wolf.

Tomorrow's front pages, starting with:

The Sunday Times' front page says a head teacher in Oldham fears

for her safety because of an alleged plot by Islamic extremists to take

The Observer leads with a leaked report warning of chaos

for EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit.

The Mail on Sunday reports of child sexual abuse claims against former

The Sunday Express carries a story about young children of alcoholics

calling a helpline and asking to be read bedtime stories

The Sunday Telegraph reports that Russia plotted to remove

the government of Montenegro and assassinate its Prime

Those are the front pages. Let's have a more in-depth discussion.

Good evening to you both. Shall we start with the Observer? Another

Brexit story. Their Brussels's correspondent has part of a leaked

report from MEPs in the European Parliament that suggests there is

doubt over the fate of EU citizens living in Britain, what happens to

them once Brexit is underway. They will be end and a legal no man's

land. Will there be a cut-off date if you live here as an EU citizen?

When will that be? What will happen to British citizens abroad. It is

one of the thorny problems Theresa May has got. If you are an EU

citizen living in Britain, I think you would be worried about what your

status would be. There should be a grandfather clause. If you are here

legally originally, you should have a right to stay. I think you have a

right to have time to leave, I cannot see this country just kicking

them out. I cannot see it being physically done. It is one of those

semi-scare stories. Our immigration records are not particularly

brilliant so the status of certain people won't be that clear. It

almost works in their paper. Potentially. If you haven't got the

paperwork, you might have a problem. We did have a story earlier in the

week where Theresa May had said she was confident there wasn't going to

be an issue. But it wasn't clear. Exactly. There will be time to go

through Brexit, like a two-year process, so people should have been

a warning at some point as to what is happening. C, do you want to pick

up the next one, the Sunday Times. It is more Brexit. Tim Shipman in

the Times. Downing Street officials believe part of Britain's annual aid

Bridget should support a new deal for countries in the European Union,

including Poland and Hungary. I have heard this story in the past, these

are countries that are more amenable to as leaving because they

understand how we feel. Having been under the grip of communism.

Essentially they are saying, let's pay them. Let's give our aid budget,

tell the European Union where we will send our money, which I don't

think Jean-Claude Juncker would be happy with. Those people will of

course negotiate on our behalf and within the EU for a better deal.

There is fights over this money within the UK Government, because

this department is saying this is our money, not yours. If it will

stir up Brussels, it will have to work. They are looking at this as a

sweetener, giving these countries, the likes of Poland, Hungary

elsewhere, the Baltic areas, this cash as a trade deal sweetener. Also

it plays into the conservative agenda, they don't want it going to

India, Africa and other such places. They would rather see it in the UK,

but if not, close to home. So another Brexit story. Which leads

nicely onto the front page of the express, India and foreign aid.

Vincent, they are saying they never asked for it in the first place?

This is an interview with the Indian High Commissioner over here. He said

we never asked for any foreign aid. Britain just gave it to us. India is

seen as having a lot of wealth in certain areas, but not in other

areas. But the High Commissioner says very nice things about England

and the UK and says it would be a winning situation, relations are

very good, we both excel in high-tech technology. We all get on

very well. But there are questions as to why we are sending this money

to one of the world's wealthiest countries. This money has to be

given away, if they want to get rid of it, PO Box 238, small bills only.

But it is the silliness of how this target driven thing is setup. They

have tonnes of money they don't know what to do with. I know what they

could do with it, send it to me, but hospitals, the police and things

that need to be done in this country, they cannot spend it here.

Referring back to the last story on the European story, even that, the

OECD tells this country where it has to send its money and they cannot

send it to these countries to Poland and I think Albania was mentioned as

one of the few that qualifies, which isn't in the EU. I find it amazing,

it is this country's money, but they cannot be told how and where to

spend it. Go figure. Go to the Telegraph. Russia plotting to

assassinate the Prime Minister of Montenegrin. Great old-fashioned

Sunday newspaper story. Saying the Kremlin was plotting to oust the

government and kill the Prime Minister on a planned coup on

election day and it cites it was one of the most blatant recent attempts

at Russian meddling. It is sourced from Whitehall sources, so something

going round the MoD and the Foreign Office. It plays into that broad

theme that Putin and Russia are meddling all over, certainly parts

of Europe, if not the world. But it is a great old-fashioned story. Here

is an opening scene from a James Bond movie. The pair that were over

their setting things up, spent months overseeing the recruitment of

a small force of Serbian nationals and to arm them. The plot was to

kill the Prime Minister and the Kremlin strongly denies this. But at

this level, they say Putin had to know of it and have do approve of

it. This is going into the Nato argument. You have Michael Pence,

the vice president talking to the security meeting today about Nato,

saying listen, you need to give up the cash and hit the 2%. Germany

doesn't want to. They are calling it a holdover from the cold War and it

throws up new arguments. Without having to take over a small country.

Vincent, it is interesting they used British intelligence on this, to try

and unravel the plot? Yes, Whitehall sources and British intelligence on

the Russians is good. Sometimes it is not so good in other parts of the

world, but Ben Farmer has good contacts in that area. It isn't a

movie yet, but it probably will be in the next couple of years.

The The Mail, this is a story that has been rumbling for a while. This

police operation was set up a year ago. It is surrounding Sir Ted

Heath. What the Mail on Sunday is alleging, the police chief in charge

of this enquiry quotes him as saying, a source close to him saying

the Wiltshire Chief Constable is 120% sure there is some truth to the

allegations. It is based on the fact that one of the reasons around Ted

Heath said he couldn't have been involved because he couldn't drive a

car, didn't have a car and he was always chauffeur driven. The Mail on

Sunday has produced photos showing Ted Heath in a car. That means he

did have a Kaka so there could be something there. It is a very long

read, and there have been allegations around various people,

but nothing is definitive. The police investigation continues. They

are pursuing leads and I have looked at these stories, there are a lot of

allegations, some from decades ago. It is hard work for the police to

get to the bottom of this. When testimony from victims, many of them

from people with incomplete recollection, and an area when there

was no CCTV. Sitting in a studio with a lawyer, I wouldn't want to

base my testimony on he said, she said, or, he was driving a car. It

says the police are refusing to call off the dogs on this. A Tory MP said

if Edward Heath was a child abuser, then I am an aardvark. Do you think

we will get to the bottom of this? I don't think it will go away any time

soon. The idea of a conspiracy involving a Westminster elite will

rumble around for years to come. Quickly, let's go back to the Sunday

Times and the Trojan horse makes a return. The Sunday Times, a school

in Oldham and the headmistress is saying she is being pushed out. Give

us a summary of this. It is another chapter in the idea there is Islamic

infiltration in schools. It is the latest twist written by Andrew

Gilligan. A teacher said she is concerned for her personal safety.

Oldham is an area of high Pakistani community and these allegations are

around. We are just getting one side of the argument, I am sure the

people involved would say it is not the case. Sorry to cut in, but we

want to cross to Florida because Mr Trump, I believe is now speaking, or

about to speak at this campaign style rally. That is Melania Trump,

his wife. It looks like she is opening proceedings for him. A lot

of people have been describing this as a reset rally for Donald Trump.

He hasn't had the easiest past week, but the last month has been a

turbulent one for him. Just recently, his national-security

adviser, Michael Flynn, had to quit the job. Interviews for that will be

taking place tomorrow. But this rally is seen by Republicans as

getting Mr Trump back to his true support base. It is very similar to

one that he attended and held in Minnesota during the campaign trail.

Very quickly, whilst I have got you here, what do you think about this

rally, tying it in with the last week's events? He realises he's us

communicate very successfully and efficiently with the public and the

press are an obstacle to that. At least, in his eyes. Not much they

don't cooperate, but they take a cynical view. He wants to talk

directly to the people. President Obama did it frequently. Maybe not

necessarily at rallies, but he would find ways of soft interviews, going

on the Tonight Show and he is employing the same tactic. Let's

listen to what Melania John Harris to say. And where all Americans can

work and succeed. A