13/03/2018 The Papers

Hello and welcome to our look ahead

to what the papers will be

bringing us tomorrow.

With me, Michael Booker,

deputy editor of the Daily Express,

and Times Columnist Jenni Russell.

Thanks both of you for coming in.

Many of tomorrow's front

pages are already in.

Let's take a look.

Starting with the Financial Times,

which leads on Philip Hammond's

optimism in his Spring Statement,

as well as Donald Trump's dismissal

of his Secretary of State

Rex Tillerson.

The Daily Express shares

the Chancellor's sunny outlook,

focusing on the possibility of

tax cuts in the budget in Autumn if

economic forecasts remain positive.

The i reports Theresa May

is preparing a wave of sanctions

against Russia amid tensions over

the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Tensions with Russia

and that investigation

into the unexplained death

of a Russian businessman in London

feature on the Metro's front page.

The Sun also leads on that death,

the 68-year-old Nikolai Glushovski,

who was an outspoken critic

of President Putin.

The Daily Telegraph's picture story

features racing fans enjoying a day

out at the opening of

the Cheltenham Festival.

But the Daily Star's front page

warns that more freezing

weather is on its way,

with temperatures set to plunge

again this weekend.

And the Daily Mirror warns that one

and two pence pieces could become

a thing of the past,

as the Chancellor launches a series

of finance-related consultations.

Let's talk to our guests. I think

we're starting with the front page

of The i, and this threat of

sanctions.

We've had this for a few

days, there is going to be just that

of sanctions. Looks like the Cold

work starts again tomorrow in

earnest with the Russians over

these, the poisoning and then the

suspicious death which has now been

linked to it. Oligarchs could have

their assets frozen, it doesn't

sound an awful lot. And it does not

sound as if it is going to scare

Russia a single bit. We saw a BBC

correspondent speak to Vladimir

Putin last night and he smirked when

he was asked about whether Russia

had anything to do with the

poisoning. I don't think he cares

and I think the problem we have with

this, and I've seen a few

commentators say this, is that

Russia is prepared to go to the

length that we are not. They seem to

have no boundaries whatsoever, as

seems to be happening with the

poisoning and possibly again with

this suspicious death of someone.

You're not suggesting the UK

intelligence services match the

Russians in being willing to poison

double agents.

I'm not saying that,

but that is the problem. They are

prepared to go to these degrees and

we are going to hit them with a few

assets?

Jenni, what is your thoughts

on this coverage? Do you take the

same view as Michael that it is I

could add up to anything to cause

Vladimir Putin sleepless nights?

No,

I think it's very deliberate on his

part. He could've chosen if he

wanted to commit to kill this man or

these two people, to have done so

without leaving a trace. He is

leaving Britain a message, which is

I can do what I like in your

territory and there's nothing you

can do about. Michael is right. The

reality is we are weak. It's not

that he is going to find that we are

weak. He could see a position now.

To be fair to say, they have sounded

to support this evening. What are

the actually going to do against

Russert? The question is not whether

people make diagnoses or whether

they do anything to combat Russian

power and we have very little

leverage of our own. We can take

these of measures but we are very

small country. What economic power

do behalf against Russia that will

also damage us? And Russia very

clearly said tonight this is no way

to talk to a nuclear superpower.

They are directly threatening us,

basically making clear that if you

attempt to retaliate against us, wow

are we going to...

In the meantime,

potentially, another problem. You

referenced it a moment ago. Death of

ex-Russian exile terror probe.

This

is a man of 69 years old who says he

was on Russia's hit list and he has

been found strangled. The fact that

this happens within days...

The

counterterrorism unit is not

confirming the hit for the

regulation mind but this is in the

sun and the Metro.

I think they are

calling it in some Russian on my

newspapers. It's in the Metro as

well. It does seem as though it's

adding up to, again, a big? Against

the Russian state. It just goes to

show what they are prepared to do.

And this is a guy who was the

right-hand man of...

Himself, an

enemy of the Kremlin.

Found in his

bathroom hanging. Well, was he

hanging? Had he strangled his neck

again, this guy, a friend of his,

they say date did not believe he had

struggled himself.

There are four or

five suspicious deaths of Russians

on British soil. There is clearly a

pattern here, which is Russia is

saying we can do it as we please.

Yes, interestingly, Matt has found

some black humour on this.

Yes, a

phone call to a Moscow lab saying,

"Yes, this is state-sponsored

doping. You want state-sponsored

poisoning."

But as greedy changes

for a moment and look a different

story -- let's look at the

changes... The Financial Times. They

are going with their lead story,

Hammond but then also, they have got

the Trump- Tillerson story.

He got

sacked and did not really think

Trump for his time as Secretary of

State. He has gotten the boot and we

have the CIA director, Mike Pompeo,

who is basically a Trump yes-man. He

can hold his hand and be nice to him

and not patronize them as much as

others do, and I think Tillerson

called him a moron, and at one

point, Trump, didn't he?

Do they

connect the time is between these

two events in the FT story? Are you

interested in the timing? Do you

think it's merely an accident, in

fact that Tillerson has had some

things to say about that? Comp has

obviously been in it different place

from Russia.

It seems very unlikely

that it is a coincidence but the

White House is disputing that event.

Within hours saying Tillerson saying

we can Russia is behind that, he

gets sacked. The White House said,

we planned to sack him last Friday,

he was told nothing about it, and he

is sacked. I doubt there is an equal

incident about this at all.

And

interest, Donald Trump did come out

and say something about Salisbury

today but late in the day.

We need

to be worried about the Secretary of

State because he's come as the

former CIA director and he's made it

his business to set up to Trump

privately and publicly on every

occasion, and the reason Trump says

he likes him is he's on his

wavelength. In other words, he will

not challenge Trump in any way at

all. He's a hawk and he will do

whatever Trump wanted to do and

would try to be -- would not try to

be, as Tillerson was with his fault,

a voice in contrast.

A crisis in

North Korea, with a summit

potentially in the offing and then

possibly the other nuclear crisis

reigniting again with Iran.

It's

certainly a very frightening time at

the moment in geopolitics, isn't it?

And with that the Russian threat

here as well. Terrifying. When he

says we're not really thinking the

same and the 22nd, Theresa May would

not have half a Cabinet if he was

done on that bit.

Looking down

stories that, let's get back to

stories, and the Daily Express. At

last, tax cuts on the way, is its

headline. Jenni.

Yes, that is the

Daily Express's spent on this. If

you look be due to are saying is by

2020 from if everything goes well on

the economy, Philip Hammond is would

have £15 billion for tax cuts. We

all got a little bit confused by tax

cuts, but that is absolutely

nothing, it is a rounding error. The

idea we can project three years into

the future and say, I'm deathly

going to have this money, is

basically... Hammond is basically

saying, we're still building up our

debt. But that he was saying this,

but he was saying I don't hunt and a

NHS crisis, a social care crisis and

anything else.

Light at the end of

the tunnel.

He wants to be more

positive and I think Tory MPs

wanting to be a bit more positive

going into the next election in 2000

would you because they need

something to fight Labour on at the

moment. At least it is something for

them.

He described it as Tigger-ing.

Not Eeyore! Claire Foy paid less

than that bit.

She was the queen!

This is so tedious! The trouble with

this is there are many, many more

roles for men and many more starring

roles for men, and if you allocate

pay on that basis, the men are

always going to continue to be paid

more and on and on. She is the

incredible star of that series.

She's won the BAFTA and the Golden

Globe.

Cheese in more scenes than

him as well, isn't he?

She

absolutely held the whole thing

together.

She is the show.

And the

producers have said the next person

to play the queen will get more

money but that does not help Claire

Foy.

Let us go to our last story

because, you know, at least Claire

can can't her penny and tuppence is

and put them in a jar.

8% of people

chuck them away, I mean, who chucks

any money away? A penny on the

floor. I just search pavements all

the time!

You're basically saying

you are against the...

I think a lot

of people will be against it. A

labour MP says charities get the

loose change from there. They are

going to miss out on this.

I was

interested to read that Thatcher

dropped the 6p piece for a simple

reason. Nothing on the coins. Maybe

make a few thousand on that.

Do you

think it's a good idea though?

Yes,

I think they are just a complaints

nuisance. -- a complete nuisance.

A

lot of rummaging around a sofa on a

Saturday night, looking for change.

And we just want to put on the

record that you to get paid exactly

the same, so no quarrelling over

equal pay on the show. Thank you

both so much for coming and. Do it

again any time.

That's it for The Papers tonight.

Don't forget, you can see

the front pages online

on the BBC News website.

All there for you seven days a week,

bbc.co.uk/papers, and if you miss

the programme any evening,

you can watch it

later on BBC iPlayer.

Thank you, Michael and Jenni again.

Goodbye.