0:00:16 > 0:00:19Hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be
0:00:19 > 0:00:24bringing us tomorrow.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25With me is the political commentator Dina Hamdy
0:00:26 > 0:00:28and broadcaster David Davies.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33Many of tomorrow's front pages are already in.
0:00:33 > 0:00:39Let's look at them. The Metro shows photos of David Beckham at the
0:00:39 > 0:00:45unveiling of his new football team in Miami. The paper's main story
0:00:45 > 0:00:46says Angela Merkel has mocked Theresa May for dithering over
0:00:46 > 0:00:54Brexit negotiations. Billing an exclusive, Buzzfeed News
0:00:54 > 0:00:59says it has seen a new Brexit impact assessment that claims leaving the
0:00:59 > 0:01:05EU will adversely hit almost every sector and every UK region. We will
0:01:05 > 0:01:08be discussing that indepth. The Times claims Theresa May is now
0:01:08 > 0:01:12facing calls from party donors to resign with a number of financiers
0:01:12 > 0:01:17calling for her to leave at a fundraising event.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23The Financial Times headlines that MPs found guilty of bullying, sexual
0:01:23 > 0:01:27harassment could lose their seat under new plans drawn up by MPs. The
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Telegraph leads with equal pay here at the BBC with claims women have
0:01:32 > 0:01:35faced what it calls vailed threats from management when asking for
0:01:35 > 0:01:39equal pay. The paper also writes that e-cigarettes could raise the
0:01:39 > 0:01:44risk of cancer according to a new study.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50The I says that the British have the worst diet in Europe. We eat up to
0:01:50 > 0:01:57four times more fast food than the French, Greeks and Italians.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01The Guardian has an exclusive interview with the outgoing German
0:02:01 > 0:02:07ambassador in which he tells British Brexiteers to stop fixating on the
0:02:07 > 0:02:17second world war.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24That's it for the papers tonight. Plenty to talk about. Let's start
0:02:24 > 0:02:29with the Metro. I think it's a snide headline, what do you make of it,
0:02:29 > 0:02:36David?Well, these are dire times indeed for our Prime Minister. I
0:02:36 > 0:02:42don't think there's much doubt about that. If she was looking for a few
0:02:42 > 0:02:47friends, whether Mercury has helped her by one of her briefings to
0:02:47 > 0:02:54journalists, apparently last week in Davos, MrsMerkel confided that
0:02:54 > 0:02:58MrsMay responds to all her questions by saying make me an offer and
0:02:58 > 0:03:02MrsMerkel replies, but hang on, you are leaving, we don't have to offer
0:03:02 > 0:03:09you anything.Dire times indeed. If we move on to Buzzfeed, this is
0:03:09 > 0:03:14potentially explosive.This is a huge story. Kudos to them for
0:03:14 > 0:03:20breaking it. The most striking line, you take out...This is a Brexit
0:03:20 > 0:03:24analysis, they've got their hands on it. One of the Government's own
0:03:24 > 0:03:29Brexit analysis.It does finally exist.Exactly. We have been told
0:03:29 > 0:03:34maybe it does or doesn't.Exactly. They've seen a Brexit impact
0:03:34 > 0:03:38assessment due to be shown to Cabinet this week. It says?There is
0:03:38 > 0:03:42no scenario that does not leave the country worse off. That is the
0:03:42 > 0:03:47scariest part of the story, the whole story. The softest Brexit
0:03:47 > 0:03:52scenario leaves the country still a lower growth by 2%. The
0:03:52 > 0:03:57comprehensive deal, if you get a comprehensive deal, it's still 5%
0:03:57 > 0:04:04lower growth rates. The no deal scenario, leaves you with an 8% less
0:04:04 > 0:04:10growth over that period. So it's very dire. It's been kept secret so
0:04:10 > 0:04:15far and the reason is it's embarrassing, according to sources.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20But on the plus side it does say the analysis assumes in all scenarios a
0:04:20 > 0:04:25trade deal with the US will be concluded and that it would benefit
0:04:25 > 0:04:33GDP by about 0. 2% in the long-term. Trade deals with other non-EU
0:04:33 > 0:04:37countries and blocs such as China, India, Australia, nations of
0:04:37 > 0:04:43south-east Asia, would add in total a further 0. 1, to 0. 4% to GDP in
0:04:43 > 0:04:51the long-term. But these do not outweigh the costs.Exactly. What's
0:04:51 > 0:04:56interesting about this is one wonders how they thought they would
0:04:56 > 0:04:59always keep it secret, that this existed and this was the conclusion.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03They say they're trying to keep it secret or under wraps because they
0:05:03 > 0:05:08don't want to give away their negotiating tactics or - the thing
0:05:08 > 0:05:12is even with the benefits that David outlined, it comes down to less than
0:05:12 > 0:05:171%.If this is right.Was this really worth it to leave the EU, is
0:05:17 > 0:05:23the question that you would be starting to ask immediately after
0:05:23 > 0:05:28reading this article. For me, the biggest negative impact that comes
0:05:28 > 0:05:32from leaving the EU is you are going to have to leave the customs union
0:05:32 > 0:05:36and the single market.Yet those who support leaving Brexit would say we
0:05:36 > 0:05:39have heard this before, it's not happening at the moment, why is it
0:05:39 > 0:05:43going to happen?That's exactly what they'll say. They will say this is a
0:05:43 > 0:05:50draft, I am sure it will be a draft of some sort or another. Or an early
0:05:50 > 0:05:56version or something like that. But it is...It's the Government's
0:05:56 > 0:06:01analysis.Congratulations to Buzzfeed for having something like
0:06:01 > 0:06:07this and printing it, and indeed you may be going on to The Times. It's
0:06:07 > 0:06:12in The Times story, well down the story, I can't believe it would have
0:06:12 > 0:06:16been had The Times had this story. Well, exactly. You are right. Let's
0:06:16 > 0:06:23move on to The Times. It mentions it there in the second column. It adds
0:06:23 > 0:06:27to the substance of their story, May faces growing calls to quit. This is
0:06:27 > 0:06:31going to increase pressure on her. Crucially, last week evidently there
0:06:31 > 0:06:36was a meeting of Conservative donors which was very, very rough indeed.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41They do matter in the Conservative Party, not least at a time like
0:06:41 > 0:06:48this. All this, the critics of the Prime Minister do seem to have
0:06:48 > 0:06:54seized the initiative in the past week-and-a-half or so and how she
0:06:54 > 0:07:01will deal with it, in this Times story, they say one source close to
0:07:01 > 0:07:05the Brexit supporting European research group of back bench Tory
0:07:05 > 0:07:10MPs thought her survival were no better than 50-50.I was talking to
0:07:10 > 0:07:14a colleague in Brussels earlier, who was saying actually the thing that
0:07:14 > 0:07:18really spooks the EU, today we had Michel Barnier outlining their
0:07:18 > 0:07:23negotiating position in terms of the transition phase, but the thing that
0:07:23 > 0:07:27really worries them is how secure is Theresa May's position and how
0:07:27 > 0:07:33stable is her Government. It's not going to be good for anybody if in
0:07:33 > 0:07:36the middle of these negotiations we get into another leadership crisis.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42But there is a storm brewing of some sort, whether it culminates in a
0:07:42 > 0:07:48leadership contest, that remains to be seen. But there has been this
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Winter of Discontent feel to MrsMay's Cabinet for the last few
0:07:53 > 0:07:59weeks and the decisions she keeps making are not helping, like the
0:07:59 > 0:08:03botched up Cabinet reshuffle and the lack of vision and the lack of
0:08:03 > 0:08:08focus, the lack of a plan on what Brexit should look like and also the
0:08:08 > 0:08:12fact that she doesn't seem to be having a strong hold on the Cabinet
0:08:12 > 0:08:15members themselves. It's almost as if she's paralysed with fear of
0:08:15 > 0:08:21saying the wrong thing so ends up not saying anything at all.Briefly,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26political journalists love a good story and amazing story from their
0:08:26 > 0:08:32perspective would be the leadership challenge. Is this media flam?It
0:08:32 > 0:08:40must be seen as more than that now. The one thing that's always kept the
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Conservative Party together, ultimately, is what the alternative
0:08:42 > 0:08:47would be, not least at a time like this. Just as a film doing the
0:08:47 > 0:08:50rounds at the moment about Churchill. I happened to see it
0:08:50 > 0:08:56yesterday.Darkest Hour.1940. Churchill at a moment when he didn't
0:08:56 > 0:09:01have the support of everyone on his back benches, he had problems on the
0:09:01 > 0:09:07front bench as well. Ultimately, and he definitely dithered for a moment.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Ultimately, there was a moment when he was bold. He decided, I am going
0:09:11 > 0:09:17to go for it. Now at what point is MrsMay going to stand up and say,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21whatever the cost of this, this is what is right for this country.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24That's what people are crying out for.Theresa May's Churchill moment.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29I have my doubts she's going to this moment and I have doubts there are
0:09:29 > 0:09:32many people in the Tory Party and this Cabinet that are putting the
0:09:32 > 0:09:37country first.Where is the alternative?We could talk about it
0:09:37 > 0:09:42all evening if we had time, we don't unfortunately. The Financial Times.
0:09:42 > 0:09:49A couple of stories vaguely related in terms of equality. Let's start
0:09:49 > 0:09:53with the MPs risk losing their seats.Yes, which is drastic
0:09:53 > 0:09:56actually. It's a good thing I suppose that somebody's finally
0:09:56 > 0:10:01decided to do something and take some sort of action on the whole
0:10:01 > 0:10:06issue of the sexual harassment that's been brewing over since 2017,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10since the wine teen thing. This is supposed to -- Weinstein thing, this
0:10:10 > 0:10:16is supposed to be a cross-party working group of MPs and staff. It's
0:10:16 > 0:10:21going to have a phone line, dedicated phone line for reporting
0:10:21 > 0:10:25and resolutions and independent investigators to consider evidence.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28If there are offenders after the investigations and everything, the
0:10:28 > 0:10:34decision could be taken by the parliamentary commissions for
0:10:34 > 0:10:37standards, which is independent, to suspend so-called said MPs. That is
0:10:37 > 0:10:41huge. People have to worry about their careers now and losing their
0:10:41 > 0:10:45seats and that is a good thing.It sends out a very firm message.Yes.
0:10:45 > 0:10:51Interestingly, in a softer way, but still a strong message, this story
0:10:51 > 0:10:58they've put up in the briefing column, page 18, story about
0:10:58 > 0:11:05easyJet's chief, his pay. He has opted to lower his salary.Well, I
0:11:05 > 0:11:11talked about boldness and the inequalities of pay, the extremes of
0:11:11 > 0:11:16pay and lack of pay in this country continue.He brought down his pay
0:11:16 > 0:11:22because he was awarded, when he came into the post, he was awarded far
0:11:22 > 0:11:28more than his predecessor who was a woman. It actually leads on to The
0:11:28 > 0:11:33Telegraph and this splash they have about women at the BBC facing
0:11:33 > 0:11:40threats over pay.I don't know. Originally I come - my family cops
0:11:40 > 0:11:46from Egypt and Egypt is a developing country, and since the 60s, men and
0:11:46 > 0:11:50women have had equal pay, so I come from a place where I don't
0:11:50 > 0:11:57understand how in the developed world, in Britain, and in other
0:11:57 > 0:11:59western countries this situation could exist where a woman is paid
0:11:59 > 0:12:06less than a man doing the same job. I know that there could be other
0:12:06 > 0:12:10subjective factors into it like years of experience or different
0:12:10 > 0:12:15backgrounds and what not. But this seems to be larger than the BBC,
0:12:15 > 0:12:20it's systemic. Private sector and public sector alike, it's a mindset.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24For me, I cannot wrap my head around this mindset, I don't understand how
0:12:24 > 0:12:28you can justify it.David, you were at the BBC back in the day.A long,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31long time ago.Perhaps you understand a little bit of how the
0:12:31 > 0:12:35BBC operates and you also understand how the outside world operates.I
0:12:35 > 0:12:42do. Those of us who were around in, dare I say it, the 1970s and 80s at
0:12:42 > 0:12:50the BBC, do find it remarkable how these disparities have been created.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55I do get that there are many issues about how do you reward, how do you
0:12:55 > 0:13:02evaluate experience? But however it's been allowed to happen, why is
0:13:02 > 0:13:07this very prevalent at the moment, this story, yes, because of Carrie
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Gracie and China, and how she's spoken out, but also because the
0:13:11 > 0:13:17director general of the BBC is to appear before a Select Committee, I
0:13:17 > 0:13:21think it's tomorrow, and he will - we are told he is going to say some
0:13:21 > 0:13:25presenters' pay has been got wrong, but that pay is largely fair in the
0:13:25 > 0:13:31BBC. So there is going to be a defence of it. But there is no doubt
0:13:31 > 0:13:38that somewhere along the lines something has gone radically wrong.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43When those outside the BBC have this light shone on what's going on
0:13:43 > 0:13:49inside the BBC, when people are told, as our media editor in his
0:13:49 > 0:13:54reporting at the BBC, saying presenters' salaries are capped over
0:13:54 > 0:14:00£300,000, how does that play, that's still a lot of money.There is also
0:14:00 > 0:14:07this perception now that with people have huge salaries and is it right
0:14:07 > 0:14:12at this time of financial crisis, 2008 financial crisis, the freeze on
0:14:12 > 0:14:17wages throughout the country for so many sectors and so many people, is
0:14:17 > 0:14:23it right that people who have high profile jobs get this amount of
0:14:23 > 0:14:28money? There is a perception, there are those people out there who say
0:14:28 > 0:14:31no, as a public broadcaster perhaps people shouldn't be paid these huge
0:14:31 > 0:14:37salaries and it is a bit ridiculous. Is there a market out there, David?
0:14:37 > 0:14:44Well, that is the question. Most certainly. Sometimes, the BBC is in
0:14:44 > 0:14:48the unfortunate position of its competitors are widely perceived to
0:14:48 > 0:14:54be Sky and ITV and the rest, and the truth is they don't make salaries
0:14:54 > 0:15:01public and people do get offered more and yet the BBC is widely seen
0:15:01 > 0:15:05as no more, no less than somewhat related to civil servants.Let's
0:15:05 > 0:15:11wind up with someone who doesn't have a pay ceiling, one would
0:15:11 > 0:15:17suspect, David Beckham. His unveiling of a new team. Had
0:15:17 > 0:15:21fantastic forS David, for four years this is what he has wanted to
0:15:21 > 0:15:29do. He stuck at it, when they couldn't find the right area of
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Miami, and the mayor here and there said you can't come, not in my
0:15:34 > 0:15:42backyard.Now he has a football team. He has thelands.Soccer is for
0:15:42 > 0:15:46men and women, is unbelievably popular in Florida.I remember going
0:15:46 > 0:15:53to games in the United States where it was just packed. And big money
0:15:53 > 0:15:57maker. Thank you both very much indeed. Rekind of you to come in.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01That's it for the papers tonight. You can see the front pages of the
0:16:01 > 0:16:04papers online on the BBC News website. It's all there for you
0:16:04 > 0:16:10seven days a week. If you missed the programme any
0:16:10 > 0:16:16evening you can watch it later on the BBC iPlayer.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21Thank you, Dina and David. Goodbye.