18/07/2017 The Papers

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

With me are Broadcaster and Campaigner, Henry Bonsu

and the former Trader Minister, Lord Digby Jones.

A warm welcome to both of you, thank you for being with us.

Tomorrow's front pages, starting with

the Telegraph reports of a gender pay gap within the BBC,

as the salary of the corporation's top-earning presenters

The Mail also has that story, saying the corporation will name

nearly 100 stars who are paid more than the Prime Minister.

The I also leads on BBC pay, it says two-thirds of the broadcasters'

The Guardian reports that Theresa May has been told to sack

the saboteurs within her cabinet, by the Conservatives influential

The Times reports on what it calls "rip-off credit card fees",

which are set to be banned, which is says could save shoppers

The Metro reports on an ongoing court case involving a police

helicopter allegedly used to film people having sex

The Express leads on a study that claims that avoiding the so-called

middle-aged spread dramatically reduces the risk of diabetes.

And the FT examines today's unexpected drop in inflation,

which saw the pound slightly fall against the dollar on the news.

We will talk in more detail about some of those stories, but let's

kick off with the Telegraph, Henry, the BBC's gender pay gap revealed.

The BBC is a beacon of equality and diversity, but it appears that when

it comes to the pay differentials between men and women, it is failing

badly. Out of the 96 top names are earning more than the Prime

Minister, more than ?150,000, 62, and two thirds are male. This is an

embarrassment to the BBC, which doesn't want to see itself as a

sexist organisation, and is preparing itself for a backlash from

female presenters in current affairs, sport, entertainment and

drama. But also from the public, it is public money, we pay the licence

fee. It does say that the BBC needs to go further and fast on issues of

gender, but it is certainly doing better than other broadcasters. It

is doing better, but because the BBC feels it owns... The public feels it

owns the BBC, that is why it has to respond in ways that Sky, ITV and

other broadcasters don't feel they have two. It employs more people. In

its heyday, 28,000, now it is down to 19,000. It is under pressure on

pay, race, diversity, Lenny Henry was in polymer today saying we need

better targets not just for people in front of the camera, but behind

the camera. -- was in Parliament today. A lot of women in this,

people will look at them Brown, I am is experienced, why is he paid more

than a? Is this a debate worth having? I applaud the BBC, for

instance, of bringing it on for us to talk about tonight. That is a

real quality decision to make, look at yourselves in public, and weld

on. -- well done. Some of the matters will be lost in translation,

don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. It is fair to say,

let me pick some names, if you have John Humphrys or Hugh Edwards, that

sort of quality, and experience, and a long time in the job, different

parts of what you would call journalism, I can see why that by, I

don't know what he is paid, I will find out tomorrow. But I can see why

he is going to be paid a lot more than a female, quality journalist

doing this job, but frankly, hasn't been around as long. I understand

that. It is a shame he is a bloke because it defeats the argument, but

that is a different argument. It gives rise to another argument,

because a female presenter of the vintage of John Humphrys, you won't

find her presenting the Today programme. The real test will be,

two things, one is to people on the sofa in the morning, breakfast

television, both of the same vintage and experience. If we find out

tomorrow that the bloke is earning more than the woman, that is

dreadful. The second is, I am more of the bring her back and ignore her

age campaign, the BBC did have a tradition of pension in off women of

a certain age. Let's show you the Daily Mail, which has a similar

story. A panic at the BBC. Should other organisations, as well as the

BBC, tell us about who they play. Other organisations, Sky, ITV... I

can remember during the MP pay, I remember question Time, which was

devoted to MPs expenses for two weeks on the trot. One member of the

audience would say, what are you paid? He said it was not their

business. But from tomorrow, it is my business. But only for those over

?150,000. Ajax set that. To be fair, your question was about Sky and ITV,

I don't pay their wages. The problem is, these are

organisations that exist in a country which professes that it is a

beacon of human rights, tolerance, diversity, and all these

organisations have signed up to edicts on equality and diversity. By

the way, there is something very special about this organisation in

the terms of the fact that it is not a state broadcaster, but it is

unique because it is paid by the public but is not a state

broadcaster. It is being forced to. But it is. There are quite a few

broadcasters in the Western world that won't be doing this to work.

Let's go to the Financial Times, they have this news. It is

amazing... For those that don't know, a surprise fall in inflation.

We have a good news economic story on the front page of the propaganda

sheet called the FT. They are not even saying, despite Brexit. They

are not saying it. It is not there. I am pleased and delighted. I am

even more delighted for the country, because even though it is a small

bit, it means inflation is coming down a bit. Let's wait and see, what

is the trend? But it means the immediate thing, the article refers

to it, it takes the pressure off them Pankov England to put up

interest rates, because how do you deal with increasing inflation? You

make money more expensive so that people don't go out, borrow and by.

It is good news. Most experts think the trend is going to be upwards of

inflation. Of course we have all these forecasters that get it right

all the time, don't we... Digby, if it has dropped... You hate it, don't

you. It is a current affairs programme, we need to see the other

side of the argument. Lots of people still feel squeezed. When they see

prices rising, prices of all kinds of things, they will. Spending. 14

weeks ago, you buried the British economy. Last week, you were burying

the British colony. For once, it says it is alive and well. You

say... I agree... 13 months ago, you were on the fence. You didn't know

if you would be a Brexiteer. Now you have become a standard bearer of a

hard Brexit. A standard-bearer for a country, actually. Even if hard

Brexit... I get this feeling that so many people in this public space

would love for this economy to fail. Absolutely not! Let's move on, let's

move on, Ding, Ding. The Financial Times, rip-off fees are using credit

cards. Henry, to be banned. This is something I feel strongly about,

because I use my credit card more than cash, especially when it comes

to paying off tax bills. Government agencies have been punishing you by

levying fees of up to 5%. The Times investigates airlines, travel

agents, ticket booking websites, they are the worst offenders. If the

ban comes in, it looks like it is going to be. It could save shoppers

nearly ?500 million a year on including convenience stores and

pubs, they will be banned from doing this. People don't know they are

charged until they check out at the end. Actually, Digby, talking about

transparency in terms of pay, this is transparency. Looking at this

before coming on air, we were in total agreement on this. That's

breaking news! If a business is saying, I hope no one finds out.

They deserve a kicking. I sincerely hope they will get one. Yeah. Where

you have to be concerned is the credit card companies charge the

retailer. If they want to pass that on, 0.6% or whatever, that is

legitimate. It is different to what it says in the article, where it

says, a lot of people justify 2.5% because that is what it costs, they

say, for each credit card transaction because it reflects

staff and IT system costs. That was a government department, a DVLA in

Swansea saying I have made ?42 million. This takes us on smoothly

to cars, and the DVLA. Let's talk about Mercedes, according to the

Telegraph. 3 million the Sadie 's cars recalled for an emissions fix.

Quite a big story. Mercedes based in Germany, so every Mercedes-Benz car

sold in this country in the last six years will be recalled, or since

2011. This is the fake emissions results scandal. A bit like the

Volkswagen scandal, costing millions. People will receive

letters to bring their cars in. It will take an hour to change this

particular piece of kit and it will be free of charge.

I am going to save you here, I think at the moment, they are saying,

"This kit isn't working in the way we said it would. So can we change

it free of charge?" When you said the words, they have been at it,

fixing it, that is an allegation as we speak. I am not sure anyone has

found them guilty yet. They are being recalled. I have saved you an

oil spill. 3 million cars, ... If I was sitting in Woakes Boer, the home

of BW comic I would think, why only me? Let's move on to the Cabinet.

They have their lovely family photo today. They are happy and smiley. We

have all been there. The wedding photograph of auntie Alice, and your

mother tells you to smile. That is this grinning together photograph.

Of course, at the moment, the government is in disarray, it is all

being done in anonymous briefings. The Prime Minister is saying in a

bubble, you are all in the frame. Philip Hammond, saying, yes, for

your job. It is this constant lampooning of the political class

from which I find very refreshing. I am not part of the brittle class,

are you? I thought we were both independent -- the political class.

What do you think about the rows within the Cabinet? Is it people

ganging up on Philip Hammond? It is a lot of people jostling for

position. And also disagreeing honestly about Brexit, about

austerity. If you Theresa May, you would think, divide and rule. Wait,

hold your space, get through the summer recess, and draw their fire.

And actually, let the media do what the media do, which is put up

rumours all the time and frustrate the opposition into not... Henry,

how deep are the divisions? Long-term, they are terminal.

Looking at this picture... Terminal for who, the Conservatives? Of the

Theresa May? The Conservatives if there is a general election. Define

terminal for the Conservatives, do you mean general election? You

believe there will be a general election? If there is... In the next

two years. He is not alone in thinking that. Why call a general

election in the middle of Brexit. It might be taken out of their hands.

We will see, like so many issues. Henry, Digby, many thanks to you, as

ever. Don't forget you can see the front

pages of the papers online It's all there for you,

seven days a week at bbc.co.uk. Hello. A change is taking place in

our weather. And the change has already been dramatic across some

parts of the country, south-west England, especially west Cornwall,

torrential rain, vicious thunderstorms, and these storms

quite hit and miss, spreading across the southern counties of Britain.

Particularly intense storms to the west of London. That is how the

lightning looked early on for a weather watcher in Plymouth. As the

thunderstorms continued through tonight and into tomorrow, there is

the risk of disruption and localised flooding, the BBC local radio

station is worth tuning in to to keep up-to-date during breakfast

time tomorrow morning. As we go through the rest of the night, the

showers and storms moved erratically northwards. Some places will scape

as they are dry. Other places will see rain in a short space of time,

frequent lightning, and hail. Scotland will stay largely dry.

Quite a messy picture tomorrow. Bands of showers and thunderstorms

continued to track northwards. Further storms work into North Wales

and north-west England later on. All the while, turning soggy across

Northern Ireland. At the same time, warmth and nudity in place for in

East Anglia -- humidity. 32 degrees, more cloud further west, and across

North Wales, perhaps later into North west England as well, further

very intense downpours and thunderstorms. There that in mind if

you are travelling. Storms across Scotland, very wet in Northern

Ireland through the afternoon, the odd flash of lightning here as well.

As we go through tomorrow evening, tomorrow night, we will see the

various areas of rain, moving eastwards, and eventually, as that

happens, and we get into Thursday, we will be left with westerly winds,

bringing fresh air. The change in our weather will be complete by this

stage. Spells of sunshine and not a bad day on Thursday. Look at the

drop in temperatures, 17-22. As we moved out of Thursday into Friday,

it looks like wet weather in places, further spells of rain to take us

into the weekend. We stick with the cooler, fresher feel.