25/02/2018 The Papers

time. All it finished. Chelsea are

taught by one point. That is all

your sport for now. Now on BBC News

it is time for the papers, with Ben.

Hello and welcome to our look ahead

to what the the papers will be

bringing us tomorrow.

With me are the political

commentator James Millar,

and the Education Editor

of the Sunday Times, Sian Griffiths.

Following the UN's resolution

for a ceasefire in Syria,

the Observer carries the picture

of two children in Eastern Ghouta,

where it's thought hundreds have

died in the past week.

Brexit leads the Sunday Telegraph -

the paper has a piece from senior

cabinet member David Lidington,

in which he claims that the SNP

could split the UK economy

and ruin trade deals.

Staying with Brexit,

and the Sunday Express reports

that the Prime Minister will declare

Britain's best days lie ahead

in a major speech coming

up next week.

Topshop owner Philip Green is under

fire in the The Sunday Times

which claims the billionaire planned

to sell his high-street empire over

dinner with two HSBC bankers.

And The Mail on Sunday reports

that the Ministry of Defence

is setting up a helpline

for British troops suffering

from conditions including PTSD.

So no consensus over the main story,

but Brexit appears in several

guises, perhaps not surprisingly,

let's have a look.

Let's start off with the observer.

They're talking about labour, Jeremy

Corbyn. Jeremy Corbyn Reno was going

to make an important speech

tomorrow. Which may commit Labour to

staying in the customs union.

Absolutely. He's going to be a

little bit annoyed this morning

because the observer has splashed on

the story. There are splits,

exposing splits within the Labour

Party. Because 80 senior figures

across the party, including Baroness

Kennedy and Lawrence, have warned

Corbyn that he is not going to be

able to fund his promised fund more

schools, more hospitals, unless the

UK stays in the EU single market.

Jeremy Corbyn poised to make a

speech tomorrow that he's gone to

signal that Labour will back

permanent membership of the customs

union, this is just going to be seen

as not a helpful intervention at

this stage.

It is extraordinary. As a country,

we are getting nearer and nearer the

door, if you like.

We still don't really know what lies

outside her door. Yes, the timing of

this is perhaps more interesting

than the content. Because we know

there are lots of people in the

Labour Party who would rather we

were still in the EU, never mind in

the single market and Customs union.

It does show up the splits and

labour. We know there are splits in

the Tory party. It is exactly same

on the other side. As you say,

exactly what either party wants,

never mind what were going to end up

with, remains something of a

mystery, really.

According to the Sunday express,

Theresa May is also to be making a

big speech on Brexit this week and

sounding very optimistic.

The country's best days lie ahead.

You are the Prime Minister would say

that, really.

What you make of that?

It is a small word that is very

interesting. She has said, if we get

them right, Brexit will be beginning

of a bright new story.

If we get it right. You would expect

a Prime Minister to be saying, we

will get this right, are best days

are ahead of us. But she's saying is

that it is fascinating. It goes to

the heart of the uncertainty around.

She's making a big speech on Friday,

the big speech on Brexit which will

set out apparently what the Cabinet

have agreed. But we don't know

exactly what that is yet and as you

say, the clock is ticking. We're

into march on Friday so there was

not much more than one year until we

leave the EU.

Whatever happens. I thought as well,

with the story, when you turn the

page away from the best days ahead,

says May, the story is exposing

splits in the Tory party because it

has got Chris Patten saying that it

is completely unrealistic that the

UK can replace the benefits of

single market membership of the

global trade deals. There is a great

quote from him, all this business

about Walter Raleigh and Britain is

pretty much for the birds, you know.

The rhetoric is all rather grander

nationalistic.

There is a quote from Donald Tusk

saying this as having your cake and

eat it. He will be overseen the

negotiation so, you know, to Theresa

Makin set out what she likes on

Friday. The EU can then turn round

and say, yes, you're not getting it.

Then where does that leave us?

Disunity within the Tory party, the

Labour Party, you thought about. But

according to the Sunday Telegraph,

disunity within the United Kingdom.

Maybe Scotland doing its own trade

deals, making things difficult,

according to the Sunday Telegraph.

You could not make this up.

Essentially the Government is saying

that if you have different. Your

biggest market, which you are next

to, that is a bad thing. Surely

Brexit means we're going to have a

print rules to our biggest market,

who we are next to. And yet they are

saying that the SNP of the Scottish

Government, which asked by the

different things, the Scottish

Government and the Scottish

Parliament are different to party

political entities. They're doing a

bad thing by wanting more power and

by taking back control for

Edinburgh. This is somehow not

acceptable. And it will not play

well in Scotland. I'm quite sure.

It's just weird, I think.

This idea that Scotland and Wales

would like to have more powers to

negotiate trade deals, you know,

praised Brexit. I'm Welsh and I

cannot see the logic in it but in

the other hand, it is this idea that

the UK will be weakened, you know,

if it becomes for separate nations

or try to negotiate. There is power

in unity and so, yes, I'm disturbed

by the Sunday Times this morning.

We had that Chequers summit of the

inner Brexit War Cabinet, whatever

you want to call it, which there

was, apparently consensus of a kind.

And we've got pictures and some of

the papers of that war cabinet.

There was a nice cosy sort of fire.

I'm not sure if it is a real log

fire or a gas fire. And they're all

in armchairs and on sofas, sitting

around, talking about the future of

the country. It is quite interesting

just to see them around not the

Cabinet table but around a rather

posh living room like that.

It is a classic picture tells a

thousand stories, doesn't it? The

power politics going on a few sips

wear. David Davis at the Prime

Minister's left by the fireplace,

apparently that was a prime position

to have. Michael Gove reanimated at

her right hand.

They are all numbered just in case

you don't know who is who from that

stop shop.

One of the things we remarked on is

how few women are in this gathering.

Just see that we counted. We also

noted that the men were

gesticulating rather animatedly and

woman sitting there with their hands

folded in their laps. There are all

kinds of... And I love these kind of

photos on the Sunday papers because

they tell you so much.

Theresa May trying all the time to

keep this consensus or establish a

consensus. Do you wonder now whether

maybe looking back she was right to

try and called a snap election?

Because she needed a majority which

obviously shouldn't get, but it

would have made her life so much

easier if she had a decent majority

in the Commons.

You forget that last April anyone

would've said she should draw a snap

election and get a big majority do

what she likes. Not work out like

that. It is unfair to suggest that

she should've seen ill exactly how

that election should play out though

she suddenly was responsible for

many of the Tory mistakes that were

made that led to the result but we

got. But, yes, she must lie awake at

night wishing she had that huge

majority of 100 that she was

dreaming of a year ago.

Let's move away into the murky world

of spies. It is always fun Sunday

morning. In the Sunday Times,

they've got unmasked, the Daily

Telegraph reporter who spied for

Moscow. His name was Floyd and he

was nicknamed Pink Floyd. She was

the Communist affairs correspondent

for the Daily Telegraph, which is a

great job title, isn't it?

A fabulous story.

Who would have thought the commonest

affairs correspondent would be a

communist spy? It is a fabulous

story and he is called David Lloyd.

He is a former British diplomat,

and, as you say, he became Communist

affairs correspondent for the Daily

Telegraph and the Sunday Times

revealed the escape prosecution. He

was unmasked just after the time

that Donald Maclean disappeared and

he was never prosecuted. The

thinking is that he was not

prosecuted because it would just

have been such a huge embarrassment

have yet another, you know, Russian

spy in Britain. He was actually

given a job. It was all dealt with

very quietly and he was given a job

in the Daily Telegraph, and then

editor and deputy editor had in fact

work for MI6. So we don't know

exactly why the deal was struck,

whether it was just too, you know,

save red faces all round. Or whether

he perhaps provided more

information. We don't know. There

was a lot about the story that we

don't know but it is just a fabulous

story.

Plenty of entry, which is what you

want from a spy story.

And the mail on Sunday, they've got

a story about another well-known

journalist. The BBC's own John

Simpson, and how he nearly fell for

a communist spy honey trap.

It is an interesting insight into

how it worked. He was having trouble

in his marriage at the time. And,

here we go. The communists found a

glamorous young lady to try

persuading to, well, into a honey

trap, exactly.

I don't think you need to say any

more. Honey trap covers it.

John Simson and honey trap are not

words I want to dwell on.

We were chatting earlier about what

propels people to do this kind of

thing. Whether it is that you are

inspired by communism and you feel

this is a good ideology. Whether it

is actually that you are a man and

some rather beautiful young woman

from Eastern Europe comes along with

legs up to their armpits and seduces

you.

I always thought it would be rather

flattering to be approached but

nobody ever approached me to be a

spy.

You would say that, though, wouldn't

you? I would, that's clever. Very

clever. Sunday Times front page.

They've got a big splash about

Philip Green.

What you make of that? An

interesting choice of splash. They

might be trying to get at something

else. The story is that, allegedly,

Philip Green talks about selling off

his Arcadia group, talked about

selling fish shops. You very much

says, no, nothing in the story

actually happened. Which is a

slightly odd story for a splash. Is

there something more to this story?

It might have more to run, I

suspect. We will have to work that

out. The observer, they are leading

on Syria which has been so sad, so

tragic. Horrific, all week, really.

Another picture of misery therein

Syria. After that you end ceasefire

resolution which does not seem to

have made much difference says bar.

It is a very sad picture. Two little

children at a makeshift clinic in

rebel held area. The Security

Council voted in favour of a 30 day

ceasefire and they're still been

jailed and people are still dying.

Very sad.

There is no end in sight.

We've been talking about the papers

and comes up every so often and it's

so incredibly depressing, isn't it?

Because there is no obvious end.

Even, you know, the ceasefire.

Within minutes, according to the

coverage, there was no fighting.

The world just seem so powerless at

the moment, doesn't it?

To do anything. It is likely for

themselves to a standstill except

they haven't because they're still

fighting.

As education editor you're

interested in the University story

that is in the observer.

This is a story on the front page of

the observer. And the headline is

revealed, university chief's 5-star

expenses. The story based on

requests and it lays bare the lavish

expense account of some British

university vice chancellors.

They've already been criticised for

their allegedly high salaries. Very

big salaries, approaching half £1

million in some cases. This is a

Channel 4 special programme tomorrow

and there are some juicy bits,

really, I guess. The questionable

items include a pawn star martini. A

Fortnum & Mason hamper. One

university paid £1600 for their

Chancellor's pet dog to be relocated

from Australia.

He must have flown first-class. Of

course, you know, this is coming at

a time when universities and facing

the worst industrial action they've

seen for decades. Strikes are to bus

week and it is a 14 day strike which

could be extended into the summer.

The good hits student exams. It is

over pension cuts and students at

the moment, lectures have been

cancelled, they are demanding

refunds for their fees. It is a

complete mess and given how many

overseas tunes we have here, what a

huge important business our

universities are for Britain.

It really needs to be sorted out.

You get a sense of higher education

is in a state of turmoil at the

moment. That is definitely true. The

one thing guaranteed to make any

situation worse is dropping the word

expenses. That is just the magic

word.

Or a pawn star martini.

I wasn't sure about that, that is a

drink, right?

It has in it. Oh, you know what it

what it is? It seems tacky to have a

pawn star martini.

Would expect a vice Chancellor to

have a proper martini. What is being

done about those high salaries were

talking about?

Is anything going to change on that?

Ministers have come up with very

strong words. There is a new

regulator coming in at the beginning

of April and they will have powers

to fine universities that continued

to paint vice chancellors salaries

that are not justified. A vice

Chancellor can show that the buck

salaries justify their in the clear

but adding some of the salaries way

above. Especially when we're seeing

lecturers now facing £10,000 cuts to

their pensions and many of them are

on short-term contracts.

It is timing, isn't it? Terrible

timing given the strike is all about

pensions. Suddenly you're finding of

another nearby towns is getting a

huge amount of pay, they can do this

as well. That you might not that

closely linked but it is very easy

to fudge the two together.

£1600 to bring your pet dog from

Australia. That seems a bit over the

top. There was a good cartoon on the

front page of the Sunday Telegraph

from Matt, who is always liable to

make us laugh.

Exactly. Have you got that led to

readers of what Matt says? We have

of 30 of Matt been celebrated in

recent days and it is remarkable how

he is always on point. This one is

what looks like two dogs outside the

university and one saying, if a

philosophy lecturer goes on strike,

and all his students sleep through

it, did the strike ever happen? It

is a serious and issue but it gets

to the point and makes you laugh.

An incredibly difficult skill,

actually, to do time after time. I

wonder if that is true. I wonder if

some of them have been sleeping

through the strike. Anyway, OK,

let's finish off on the rugby.

Now, I know, James, you're

interested in this.

Did you enjoy...

I've got a foot in both camps on

this.

Who do you support, tell us?

I think the Scottish addition to the

Sunday Telegraph has a different

page. I expect the Scottish addition

had a jubilant Scottish player after

they beat England 25 have then --

25-13.

Do you sport England or Scotland?

You will mean all sorts of trouble

here. Historically, growing up in

Scotland, you were required to

choose one or the other and you

would... I suddenly decided to

choose the one who tends to win

more, whose England.

But I still wish Scotland what

they're playing anybody else.

But you are a Scottish? I was born

in England so our foot in both camps

as I see it.

My timeline on Facebook and Twitter

have been overtaken by jubilant

Scots who are absolutely over the

moon, which is lovely to see.

Because it has been ten years since

they last won and apparently it was

a good game. I confess I missed it,

unfortunately. I will try to catch

the highlights. I believe the

highlights are on YouTube. Your

recommended to get a bowl of

porridge while you're watching them.

It is not the championship more

interesting, it is underdog story.

It is just a really nice story.

Are

you a rugby fan? I was at the match

where Wales beat Scotland a few

weeks ago.

Why you? Yes. And Wales. It was a

lovely atmosphere. We were at

Cardiff station going back in the

evening and I was saying to you,

there a Scottish bagpipe player in

his kilt and he was playing Scottish

tunes. And if it had been a football

match it would've been a very brave

person to be standing at Cardiff

station surrounded by drunken Welsh

bands but it was rugby is of the

Welsh bands were just singing along

and that's the difference between

rugby and football. Such a nice

atmosphere to to the games.

It is such a family atmosphere.

Game

gentlemen. Is that right?

Very good quote, yes, that is

perfect. Thank you very much for

both of you.

That's it for the papers today.

Don't forget you can see the front

pages of the papers online

on the BBC News website.

It's all there for you -

seven days a week at

bbc.co.uk/papers -

and if you miss the programme any

evening you can watch it

later on BBC iPlayer.

Thank you to James Millar

and Sian Griffiths.

Goodbye.