13/04/2016 Victoria Derbyshire

The question at the heart of it is whether government policy has been

shaped by a six story involving a Cabinet minister.

Let me just unpack it for you a bit. First off, he has admitted that he

had a relationship with a six worker before he became Culture Secretary

for about six months. The second part of the story

involves the press. Four newspapers from big newspaper groups, the mail

group, News International, the Mirror group and the independent

were all investigating the story and seemed to be aware of it but none

published it. Campaign groups like Hacked Off are saying this is

extraordinary, this is the sort of story they published an if you look

at the stories around Max Mosley or David Mellor... There are suspicions

as to why the press did not publish. Which takes us to the third element

of the story, the politics. The charge from Labour is that the

reason the newspapers did not publish is because they wanted to

keep the story in their back pocket, as a sort of sort of Damocles which

they could hold over John Whittingdale to make sure he did not

press ahead with further press regulation or the next stage of the

Leveson Inquiry. newspapers had been contacted about

it? The answer to that would seem to be no and there are some questioning

as to whether he should have told the Prime Minister and told the

Cabinet Secretary bass of the potential for blackmail or for

pressure to be applied to him. Number Ten's view is that Mr

Whittingdale is a single man. He is entitled to a private life and that

the Prime Minister retains full confidence in him. Hacked Off say

that Mr Whittingdale has changed his mind on Leveson, previously he was

in favour of the second stage of the Leveson Inquiry which all the

inications are may well not go ahead and their suggestion is that the

reason Mr Whittingdale changed his mind is because in the back of his

mind there is the fear or there was the fear of this story going public.

I have to say from my knowledge of Mr Whittingdale, he has been a

sceptic about further press regulation. He has always been in

favour of a much more light handed and light touch approach to press

regulation. So it could always have been the case that Mr Whittingdale

was never going to be inclined to press ahead with further press

regulation. Thank you, Norman. We will talk to Labour's culture

spokeswoman after 10am. How do you view this story? Do you have

confidence in the Culture Secretary and his role as being in charge of

newspapers in this country? Particularly knowing the fact that

four newspapers didn't publish this story about him, but as Norman said,

Downing Street saying hey, he was a single man. Where is the story. Send

us your view. With the rest of the news here is

Joanna. More than 2,000 pupils in Edinburgh

- whose schools had been closed because of concerns

about their structural safety - 17 sites were shut last Friday

amid fears over the standard A further 5,000 younger

pupils will be spending a third day at home,

and may not resume their studies Students preparing for

Scottish Highers and other exams They are either returning

to their own school or have been Students didn't return to school

following the Easter holidays after Edinburgh Council closed

a total of 17 schools The problems were first uncovered

in January when part of a wall at one school

collapsed during high winds. Other schools were closed

after inspections revealed problems with the way walls and roofs

had been built. Today, three schools, Drummond,

Firrhill and Royal High are partially reopening

because the areas causing structural Two at Gracemount and Craigmount

are sending their pupils elsewhere, but their teachers will go with them

to ensure some level But that still leaves almost 5,000

pupils off school for a third day The remaining affected secondary,

primary and special needs pupils are likely to be given

somewhere to resume lessons There is still uncertainty

about where that will be. So they will be in a different

building, but they will be taught by their usual teachers

in their usual class. So there should be very little

difference to their study except It's a very logistical exercise,

but I'm pleased to say my team have done a fantastic job at getting

those logistics together. All 17 schools were built as part

of the city's public-private finance The scale of repairs are as yet

unknown and the disruption Prosecutors in Panama City have

raided the offices of the law Millions of confidential documents

were leaked from the firm, revealing how some wealthy

individuals used offshore A company called Blairmore Holdings,

set up by David Cameron's late Britain's biggest supermarket,

Tesco, is back in profit. The company has reported its first

sales growth in three years, reporting a pre-tax profit

of ?162 million for last year. That compares to a loss of more

than ?6 billion for the year before. A drive towards lower

prices and fewer products The company has also closed 60

unprofitable stores and sold off High rates of unemployment

in southern and eastern Europe have been named as among the key factors

driving an increase in the number Over the last five years the number

of EU nationals living in the UK has gone up by almost

700,000 to 3.3 million. Oxford University's Migration

Observatory says six countries account for 80 per cent of that

increase - Spain, Italy, Portugal, A leading cancer charity is warning

that obesity may be fuelling a significant rise in the number

of women being diagnosed Cancer Research UK says the number

of cases has almost doubled Around 9,000 women are found

to have the disease every year in the UK, with around

2,000 deaths as a result. A BBC investigation has found that

police in England and Wales have seized almost 5,000 dogs

in the last three years - on suspicion that they

are banned breeds. The RSPCA says there's no proper

evidence that some types of dog are more violent than others,

but the Government says a ban It will never be

the same again, ever. It will never look like

a normal leg again. This is how Kerry Stevens' leg looks

today after she was attacked by a dog while delivering

a package in Eastbourne. It was snapping at my legs and then

it got me basically on the leg, pushed me to to the floor and lock

jawed on and basically, I was screaming, "Get it off me.

Get it off me." The Dangerous Dog Act

came into force in 1991, after six-year-old

Rukhsana Khan from Bradford The Act prevented people

from owning these four breeds. The RSPCA says banning specific

types of dog hasn't stopped people from breeding or selling them,

but punishes some unaggressive dogs If there is a suspicion that that

dog is a banned type it will be taken from the owner's home

and taken into undisclosed police kennels and it will then wait

there for a period of time until an expert comes

in to determine whether or not a dog Since 1997 some dogs can be exempt

from the ban as long as the animals are kept by a responsible owner

and don't pose a risk to the public. Last year this dog, Budd,

was identified as a pit bull The Government says the been

on certain types of dogs is crucial to help deal with the heightened

risk those animals pose. A small Islamic sect that faces

disapproval and hostility from some other Muslims says

it is increasingly worried that its members

may be attacked. The Ahmadis believe that there

was a prophet after Muhammad which has led many mainstream Muslim

organisations to declare them not Leaflets calling for the killing

of Ahmadis have recently been found A mosque trustee suggested

they were fakes or were Minority communities

in Pakistan have become targets of sectarian violence

and some fear that We'll be examining this issue

in much greater detail on the programme in the next few

minutes, and discussing it with Ahmadi Muslims

and an Islamic scholar after 10am. A British playwright has died. The

writer first came to prominence in the 1950s for his gritty, working

class dramas about every day life. His wife said he died yesterday

after a long illness. Later we will be talking to the

Labour MP who thinks the Culture Secretary shouldn't be involved in

any decisions on regulation of the press after he confirmed he had a

relationship with a sex worker. Has Labour got a point? Tell us what

you think. Should a Government minister's private life, could it

affect their decisions at work? John says not. Tell us what you think and

what you think of the story generally. Get in touch in the usual

ways. Reading a couple of your comments

which are in already. This e-mail from Andrew, "I don't know what the

fuss is about. How many politicians have done the same? If you are in

Government, then you should be squeaky clean or leave." Lee, "I

don't think it is relevant. The fuss around the woman being a sex worker

speaks volumes about our attitude towards sex work: " Ian, "Hacked

Off, the campaign group says that campaigns for a free and accountable

press, Hacked Off can hardly complain that John Whittingdale had

his privacy respected when they campaign from it." Des says, "What

business is of anybody he is what the Culture Secretary has done or

does in his private life. He acknowledged happened and leave him

alone and stop treating him as a criminal."

They've reached the semi-finals of the Champions League

for the first time beating Paris St Germain

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg in FranceCity had

And could have settled nerves a little earlier if Sergio Aguero

Joe Hart was called into action on a number of occasions.

Including twice from Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kicks.

But perhaps fitting that in a contest billed as being

between the rich kids of England and France.

The most expensive player on the pitch got the winner.

Kevin De Bruyne firing in with 15 minutes to go with his 15th

The goal also gave manager Manuel Pellegrini his first

Champions League semi final in his final year at City.

Because we draw in Paris we are going to draw.

Could City's next opponents include THIS man...

Real Madrid making it for the sixth straight year. British number two

takes on Nadal this morning for the Andy Murray is already through. The

world number two didn't make it easy for himself, taking the first set

6-2 but lost the second 6-4. He rallied in the second, taking its

6-3 to progress. winning the 100 metre breast gold at

British swimming World Championships in Glasgow. He came home in under 58

seconds to qualify for the Games. Finally, a maximum 147 break in

snooker is a rare thing, so as you can imagine, missing the final black

is pretty agonising. But doing it twice, spare a thought for satire

and no. He has only gone and done it again. This time it came in World

Championship qualifying. The latest miss for him cost him nearly

?10,000. His feelings after missing this pot. Yeah, fairly clear...

Thank you very much, more later. As the killing of pay Muslim shopkeeper

in Glasgow exposed religious prejudice in this country?

This programme has been told by one Muslim group that they are

increasingly worried that this group may be attacked by other, more

extreme Muslims. We have been to the UK's biggest Ahmadi mosque.

They said, "We will cut you into pieces.

"We will break your legs and we will even cut your neck,

What we are seeing is targeted abuse, saying Ahmadis are less

than animals and they should have no human rights.

This is unacceptable, this is completely unacceptable.

Every sect believes they are the right sect

and what the other sect practices is incorrect.

They don't like us because of what we believe.

Friday prayers at the Baitul Futuh mosque in south London.

It is the largest in the UK and thousands of worshippers

have come together to hear the weekly sermon.

It could be a while before they are able to get

It is not usual to see such a high amount of security like this

at mosques in the UK but the worshippers

That is because there is a real feeling they may be at risk

It is airport style security and we are vigilant and we look

We are not a professional outfit like the police but we do

Do you think the level of security here is excessive?

It is proportionate in accordance with the risk so we need to take

When people understand the reasons it is a lot easier and they know

37-year-old Farouq is an Ahmadi Muslim.

There are about 30,000 others like him in the UK.

But some Muslims do not recognise Ahmadis as being part

It is down to Ahmadis believing in a follower prophet after Muhammad

It is a contentious issue amongst some Muslims who believe Muhammad

It is this belief which has Ahmadis labelled as apostates,

disbelievers and in extreme cases worthy of being killed.

We have the threats we saw in Pakistan in 2010,

the two Lahore attacks where, at a mosque, suicide

We have seen recently an increase in sectarian violence,

the question of ideology and hate, and we have seen what was going

In Pakistan Ahmadis are not allowed to hold Friday prayers,

openly preach or even call themselves Muslims.

If they do they could face up to three years in prison

under the country's infamous blasphemy laws.

Why do you think there are some groups out there who do not

We are Muslims, we follow Islam, nothing else.

Aneesa came to the UK in 2012 with her 15-year-old son Bilal.

She had been receiving death threats from her neighbours in Pakistan

She does not want us to show her face or Bilal's

because she's worried about being targeted.

When you received these threats from extremist Muslims,

They said, "We will cut you into pieces, break your legs

and even cut your neck, and then we will become satisfied".

Aneesa hired a solicitor to take on her asylum case

He happened to be Muslim and she began to face problems.

When I hired a solicitor, rather than solicitor,

He preached me, "Why are you living in fool's paradise?"

"Leave this religion and come to the actual faith

It was not his duty to preach me at that moment.

His duty was only to represent me, nothing else.

You paid a solicitor to represent you but instead

he is preaching to you, telling you that

At the time I felt I was not in the UK.

Aneesa and her son's asylum cases are still ongoing.

Bilal has adapted well to life in the UK, though he can't fully

What impact has it had on you, growing up as an Ahmadi

They have taken away their childhood from me.

Making new friends, I could not do that.

I always had to stay at home, because I'm an Ahmadi Muslim

and my mum was scared to let me go out.

I was even feeling scared in my own home because I knew

What is life like for you in the UK now?

You can fit in with the society, no matter what race you are.

No matter what skin colour or religion, it doesn't

What if your case is rejected and you have to go back to Pakistan?

I would not even know who I am, because if I go back

to Pakistan I don't know what they would do to me.

Ahmadi shopkeeper Asah Shah at his store in Glasgow.

A killing which police believe was religiously prejudiced.

Some fear the religious intolerance to Ahmadis seen in countries

like Pakistan is now beginning to take root here.

From the beginning of April,, police forces in England and Wales

have been required to record anti-Muslim hate crimes

as a separate category to try and get a better idea

Fiyaz Mughal is from Tell Mama, a group which monitors

The group claim they are seeing more sectarian incidents

being reported to them, both on and off-line,

with a particular increase in anti-Ahmadi abuse

We've had material where they are regarded as individuals

who should be exterminated, calling Ahmadis cockroaches,

and monkeys, calling Ahmadis individuals who should not have any

Do you think things will get better or do you expect the number

of incidents which come your way to stay the same?

We will sadly continue to see a rise, the issue of Ahmadis

being seen as non-Muslims is quite significant

in Muslim communities, in mainstream thought.

We don't have a problem with theological difference

and debate, people can disagree, but what some of these disagreements

lead to is the hate and vilification of the Ahmadi community

Despite what groups like Tell Mama claim are increasing levels

of anti-Ahmadi abuse, some are trying to help bring

26 year old Abdul Quddus is a young British Ahmadi Imam and he makes

a point to actively engage with people from other religions,

those of no faith and Muslims from different sects.

Now we find in the UK there is more voiced opinion

People are calling those from other sects as disbelievers, non-Muslims.

Rather than looking at the commonalities

and community, they want to see the differences.

And they hold those differences against each group.

Do you think there needs to be more dialogue between

Just by making more practical steps, dialogue, inviting each other

to mosques, community places, and sharing a meal together

These things will break the tension and cause a reason

At this very moment Islam is being attacked and defamed.

It is even more vital for people to come together to unite.

You are a qualified Imam and have studied the subject for seven years.

How does it feel when someone says to you, "You don't know

They have been taught this from day one.

You can't blame someone who has actually had that

Hopefully, I always say, if you get to know me,

then you realise if I'm a Muslim or not by my practices.

Some groups are openly against Ahmadi Muslims

because of their beliefs, but say it is not about promoting

violence, spreading hate or doing anything illegal.

The Finality of the Prophets is one of them, the group share a name

linked to a mosque in Stockwell, where leaflets called calling

But the Academy claims it has nothing to do with them.

Anyone who says that should be punished according to the law.

I don't want to be associated with anyone who advocates any kind

But you don't think Ahmadis are Muslim, do you?

According to us, according to the word of consensus,

Some Ahmadis are worried the problems in Pakistani are now

This is blowing it out of proportion.

And taking the problems of one country and making them into

The government plans to try and tackle sectarian

hatred under its counter extremism strategy.

In a statement, the Home Office told us: Heavy security will continue

to be a feature of some Ahmadi mosques in the near future.

Though many are praying a time will come when it is no longer needed.

It is not fair for us, it is totally unfair.

It is too much for us and we feel helpless.

We will talk more about the issue after 10am.

Do you have confidence in the Culture Secretary

who's in charge of newspapers in this country, to do his job

properly, after he confirmed he had a relationship with a sex worker,

a story which four newspapers chose not to publish.

Many comments. Neil tweeted, "Not bothered by this and other stories

doing the rounds." Ronald tweets, "MPs sleeping with prostitutes is

nothing new and affects him doing his job as much as if he wore green

or saw a rainbow once." Another viewer says, "John Whittingdale's

imparality could have been compromised and we have to take a

politician's word that it wasn't." Tom Tom tweets this, "It is not

about prostitutes, it is about media silence on a story they would

normally print." We will talk to Labour's culture spokeswoman after

10am. Keep your views coming in.

And it is the first of our weekly series looking at some

of the big themes that could influence your decision

on whether to vote stay in or leave the European Union.

We'll talk two women who run their own businesses

and we promise we'll speak only in plain English because some

of the language around the debate is so unclear on occasion.

Here's Joanna in the BBC Newsroom with a summary of today's news.

Labour has called for the Culture Secretary John Whittingdale

to withdraw from being involved in any decisions on press regulation

after he confirmed that he'd been in a relationship with a woman

Mr Whittingdale was single when he met the woman on the dating

site match.com in August 2013, before he was in his current post.

Downing Street said he was a "single man and entitled to a private life"

and he had the full confidence of the Prime Minister.

Four newspapers knew about the story but decided not to publish it saying

He spoke to the media this morning. REPORTER: Can you really properly

regulate the press after the revelations? I have made a

statement. What about what Labour are saying? Nothing further.

More than 2,000 pupils in Edinburgh, whose schools had been

closed because of concerns about their structural safety,

17 sites were shut last Friday amid fears over the standard

A further 5,000 younger pupils will be spending

a third day at home, and may not resume their studies

Prosecutors in Panama City have raided the offices of the law

Millions of confidential documents were leaked from the firm,

revealing how some wealthy individuals used offshore companies.

A company called Blairmore Holdings, set up by David Cameron's late

Britain's biggest supermarket, Tesco, is back in profit.

The company has reported its first sales growth in three years -

reporting a pre-tax profit of ?162 million for last year.

That compares to a loss of more than ?6 billion for the year before.

A drive towards lower prices and fewer products is

The company has also closed 60 unprofitable stores and sold off

BT is to recruit people to work in its security business. The company

said a number of high-profile security and data breaches that have

dominated the headlines in recent months led to more consumers wanting

to know how best they can protect themselves.

A leading cancer charity is warning that obesity may be fuelling

a significant rise in the number of women being diagnosed

Cancer Research UK says the number of cases has almost doubled

Around 9,000 women are found to have the disease every year

in the UK, with around 2,00 deaths as a result.

The British playwright Sir Arnold Wesker has died, aged 83,

his wife Lady Wesker has confirmed to the BBC.

The writer first came to prominence in the late 1950s for his gritty,

working class dramas about everyday life.

His wife said he died yesterday evening after a long illness.

Hugh's back now with the sport headlines.

Manchester City are through to the semi finals

of the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Kevin De Bruyne's goal was enough for a 1-0 second leg win

at the Etihad over Paris St Germain sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory

They're joined by Real Madrid. They had a 2-0 deficit to overcome

against Wolfsburg and Cristiano Ronaldo did it all.

His hattrick at the Bernabeu also giving Real a 3-2 overall win.

Andy Murray's one out of one on clay this season.

He won his first match of the year on the surface beating

Frenchman Herbert in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

World Champion Adam Peaty is on his way to the Rio Olympics

after winning 100 metre breaststroke gold at the British Swimming

The 21-year-old qualifies for the Games hoping

to add to the three world titles he won last year.

That's all the sports headlines for you for now. Ilk back in a few

minutes. -- I will be back.

Made up your mind yet about whether you want this

country to leave or remain in the European Union?

You'll get the chance to vote on 23rd June,

so still plenty of time - and it's totally your decision.

Both sides are arguing it out arguing over things

like immigration, security and the jobs, wages and the economy.

Each week - between now and the day you vote -

we're going to ask our political guru Norman Smith to take a look

at one of these big themes - this week it's the economy -

and explain it in clear, simple, plain English -

before hearing from both sides on the issue.

Thank you very much, Vic. Well, it is the biggy, the economy. It is the

issue which Mr Cameron hopes will win him this referendum by a warning

of the dangers of our economy if we pull out. Brexit campaigners say he

is just trying to scare the pants off us. So what is the ghostly

vision that Mr Cameron is trying to conjure up? First off, jobs. He says

three million jobs are tied up with Europe. If we leave, they could be

at risk. Second business, many businesses come to Britain because

we're in the EU, companies like Nissan and BMW, would they still

come here if we left? Prices, the cost of everything, he says, will go

up. Things like air fares, cheap flights to the rest of Europe will

cost more, he says, similarly the mobile phone bills will also go up.

Listen to Mr Cameron warning about the dangers to our economy if we

leave when he was speaking to students last week.

We think it would be a bad decision to leave.

It would be bad for our economy, bad for jobs, bad for investment,

We think it would be bad for universities.

So we have made a clear stance in this leaflet which I hope

everyone will get a copy of in their home.

You may think this sounds familiar. Well, it is. He remember we had that

Scottish referendum and yes, the Government again, tried to warn

about the dangers to the economy and were accused of running Project Fear

in the Scottish referendum and at the heart of that was claims about

the pound. Fears that if Scots voted for independence, they wouldn't be

able to keep the pound. So what would happen to the Scottish

currency? There were question marks about whether Scots could rely on

oil prices which we know have subsequently plummeted. And the man

who issued many of those warnings, the governor of the Bank of England,

last month, he conjured up his own scary vision about what would happen

to the economy in the UK if we left the EU saying there would be massive

disruption, trade would suffer. We would be a less dynamic economy and

he warned it could take months, years, of uncertainty which would

hurt business in Britain. Now, what do those who want to leave do to

bust those sort of ghostly visions? Well, here is Boris Johnson and

Michael gO the Ghost Busters of the Brexit campaign. They say first off,

red tape. British business would be freed of a whole load of cumbersome

rules and regulations, we would become more dynamic if we left the

European Union. Trade, we would be able to negotiate our own deals with

other emerging countries. We want have to wait for the old lumbering

EU to get its act togetherment we would get our international mojo

back, we would feel liberated and become more entrepreneurial and

Buccaneering and that was Boris Johnson's message a short time ago.

Have a listen. It is precisely because we stayed out of the euro

that we are now one of the most successful economies of Europe. And

if we burst out of the shackles of Brussels, we would be able to begin

immediately with those long neglected free trade opportunities

which we can't do at the moment. We could strike free trade deals with

America, with China, with the growth economies around the world with our

officials, with UK officials. So, both sides may differ bitterly

over what sort of impact it would have if we left the EU, but on one

thing they do agree - the economy is absolutely central to this

referendum campaign. STUDIO: Thank you, Norman.

Let's talk now to two women her run their own businesses.

Sarah Bell, the head of Tempus Energy,

a company that tries to help its customers

cut their energy bills using smart technology.

She's signed up to support the Britain Stronger in Europe

campaign, so she'll be voting for the UK to remain

Farzana Baduel, Founder and Managing Director of Curzon PR.

She recently signed an open letter to the Prime Minister calling

for Britain to leave the EU, in order she says, to be more

independent when it comes to trade and migration.

Welcome both of you, thank you very much for coming on the programme. So

the list of big global organisations as well as British organisations

saying that there will be instability, job losses, years of

uncertainty if Britain votes to leave, do you say that won't happen?

I think if we remain in Europe there is going to be certainty that we're

going to continue with the stifling bureaucracy. And if Britain leaves?

Then it will be wonderful because our politicians will be free to make

decisions based upon UK economy rather than a collective Europe. So

do you dismiss the job losses and the instability? I believe that they

will be short-term jitters. Jitters. What does that mean? For people

watching does that mean they will lose their job or their boss will

get nervous? There is a number of people who are sitting on the fence

in terms of investing because they are waiting to see the outcome of

the referendum. However in the medium-term to long-term, I believe

Britain would be better in terms of its economy outside of Europe for a

number of reasons. First of all, trade. Why are we tying ourselves to

Europe when it is a stagnant economy. Most of my business comes

from emerging markets and I travel around the world and there is this

wonderful feeling that the UK is a country that people around the world

want to do business with. They want to come and educate their children

here. We have the most incredible soft power that a lot of countries

in Europe don't possess. What does soft power mean? The UK is perceived

as quite sexy around the world. People want to come here and travel

and educate the kids here and do business here. They can do that now?

They can do that now, but we don't have the power to build by lateral

trade relations with a number of countries outside the EU. We have to

do it with Europe and Europe is taking time because of the

bureaucracy and they don't represent the interests of the UK. They

represent the interests of the collective. Well, on that point

then, Sarah, being in the European Union means Britain does not have

control of its own trade policy. We, you know, EU trade representatives

with the competing interests of 28 member countries trying to get deals

with India. They have been discussing a free trade deal for

nine years, is it? It is embarrassing. No wonder it takes

Canada, you know, seven years to get some kind of deal with the EU

because there are so many countries with those competing interests, do

you not accept Britain could be free to do that in a more efficient,

speedy way and that would be dynamic for Britain's economy? I think it is

a fallacy to think negotiating trade agreements will be speedy. Those are

lengthy and drawn out negotiations. If we exit now, we remove ourselves

from an enormous opportunity that has come from unifying European

policies, climate change represents the biggest economic development

opportunity of our time. Companies like mine that have developed

technology to under pin the future energy system. The reason why Europe

represents an enormous opportunity is because Europe decided to be a

frontrunner in doing renewable policies, in having energy and

climate policies that drive that agenda forward to take maximum

advantage out of that, we can develop technologies, but business

models and services that can be marketed to those economies that are

right for them. In the last two weeks, my company has been contacted

by companies in three separate European countries that are

interested in our technology because they recognise... If Britain was

outside the European Union, those three countries would have still got

in touch with your companies? The way we do business with them and the

opportunity of the reunification of energy policy, we can build a

platform that can be servicing all European countries because we

understand, you know, a common European energy trading market. Do

you accept that? There is uniform standards across these 28 countries

which British business can take advantage of? They don't have to

make different products for those 28 countries because we've got

consistency and that reduces costs. That's a good thing for British

business? I think you have to look at the

other side. British businesses have high barriers to entry because of

the increased regulations coming out of Europe. A lot of the people

campaigning for remaining within Europe tend to be big businesses. I

run a small business and I don't have these teams of lawyers in house

and teams of lobbyists who can go to Brussels on my behalf and influence

decisions from there. Are you saying you have barriers now when it comes

to doing business with the rest of Europe? I have an office in New

York, an office in Dubai but I don't have any offices in Europe. The

economic growth I've seen has come from the areas expanding outside

Europe. Are their barriers, despite Britain being in the single market,

in this big market with 500 million customers, you have barriers, is

that what you're saying? Just to clarify. First of all, economic

growth. Whether we like it or not, the economic growth is moving

eastwards. A lot of my business is coming from India and China. London

is a very global city, the wonderful thing about London is that everybody

comes over here and the opportunity that I saw were not setting up an

office in Europe... Sorry to interrupt, Britain is a member of

the European Union, there is no free trade agreement with India. As a PR

company based in Britain, selling your services in India, are their

taxes that you have to pay? Tariffs that you have to pay? Are there

regulatory barriers or not? The wonderful thing about setting up an

office in India and emerging markets is that I'm going out there with the

brand of Britain. They perceive the UK is a very strong brand and that

helps me get business from these emerging markets. There is no

financial barriers to you doing trade there? No financial barriers

at the moment in terms of me doing trade there but if the UK and India

could have its own bilateral trade agreement it would make our business

a lot stronger. The Indian Prime Minister and David Cameron have had

a lot of meetings where they have discussed collaborating, but we

haven't yet had a bilateral agreement with India. Britain would

have to start from scratch. The EU has been talking to India for nine

years! Britain would have to start from scratch. Not least America,

South Korea, Vietnam, all the places the EU already has trade deals with.

The UK, it's easy to be nimble and go and open up offices around the

world. But you can do that with Britain as a member of the European

Union. I've seen the economic opportunities outside Europe, I've

not seen them inside Europe. For us to hang the petticoats of Europe

because we are too scared to go on our own, I think it is a defeatist

mentality. Is it about being scared, Sarah? I don't think so,. There

hasn't been enough discussion about what it would cost Britain to

negotiate with those countries. By the cost, you mean in terms of, it

could take years so there will be instability and it won't be clear

what the rules are and that could lead to job losses. Is that what you

mean by cost? Also the focus and time, definitely some of that aside,

the enormous amounts of legal fees that we will be required to

negotiate, the treaties with individual countries, they all add

to the prospect but also the focus of government, I would much rather

this government were focused on economic development, pushing our

innovation businesses into new markets including Europe as well as

the rest of the world, instead of spending lots of time trying to

renegotiate treaties. If we leave Europe now, we're getting away from

markets that we could immediately enter and that is not going to be

good for jobs and growth. In the Economist last week they reported

that since we have been in Europe, trade with European countries has

increased by 55%, that is a very large opportunity for British

businesses. Yes but you will know that Britain's trade with Europe is

degreasing, it used to be much higher, say in 2006, and actually

our trade with the emerging markets we have talked about is on the

increase. For some areas. In the area I worked in, because there is

cemetery new abode generation in places like Germany, Spain,

Portugal, actually the ability to more cost effectively manage their

system, that opportunity is actually increasing. I'm focused on the

energies sector. Of course, and people will hear what you both say

and hopefully absorb some of the information and hopefully make their

own minds up. Very briefly. 350 million a week, I read, I was

reading an article. That is shocking. That is what Britain pays

into the European Union and Britain gets back 190 million a week. What

Britain pays net per week is 160 million. Every week we pay 160

million. On top of that we're outsourcing our control over our

borders, we're outsourcing control in terms of our economy. I just

think it's madness. But that doesn't account for the benefit that is into

Britain. We're taking that into account in the rebate. But you're

talking about other benefits. Like trade and economic development.

Still to come on the programme, we hear from Ramadi Muslims, a minority

sect in the UK who fear from their -- fear for their safety after a

number of extreme attacks from other Muslims. -- Ahmadi Muslims.

Tomorrow it will be two years since 276 schoolgirls were abducted

from northeast Nigeria by the militant Islamist

Some managed to escape but 219 are still missing.

The kidnapping sparked outrage around the globe and the hashtag

#bringbackourgirls was used by Michelle Obama, Malala,

Julia Roberts and Cara Delevigne, among many others.

There is no evidence of where the girls may be held or

There will be demonstrations across Nigeria today to call

for the safe return of the girls, while remembering all

These parents spoke to the BBC back in 2014, after their

I can't eat, I can't sleep, I even have an ulcer.

Sometimes I feel very faint due to worry.

Often they start crying and calling out for their sibling

They must be sitting on their backsides, the government,

otherwise they would have found and rescued those girls.

But to date their efforts have yielded no fruit.

When we go to bed we are scared and worried.

Sometimes we don't go to bed for fear, we just stay up.

TRANSLATION: Honestly, there is a lot of fear.

All we can do is put our faith in God and hope that

TRANSLATION: The government is doing nothing at all.

Honestly, if they were doing anything serious they would have

I honestly don't see any effort they are making.

Let's talk now to the head of the foundation which is campaigning for

the girls to be brought home. She is in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

Thank you for talking to us. Aisha, first of all, what role has your

organisation played in trying to get the schoolgirls back? One of the

things we've tried to do is help the community built facilities and show

them the support of the family members. The challenge we faced...

OK, sorry... Do carry on. OK. It was important to realise that these

girls are not just a number. We talk about numbers like 219 but at the

end of the day we're talking about parents who have lost their

children, we're talking about communities that have been

devastated. So it was up to us to work with them in terms of

comforting them and in terms of how to rebuild their schools and their

communities. In the last few months, we have also been able to interview

at least 203 parents, out of which the seven were parents of girls that

had actually escaped at the beginning of the abduction, and we

have been able to photograph them. Because it's also important...

The Skype obviously keeps freezing, but we will come back to Aisha,

because I have more questions for her. Is the Nigerian government

doing enough to try and rescue these girls from the Islamist militants?

Essentially, Amnesty International thinks that the Nigerian government

isn't doing enough. At the time of the abduction of these girls, two

years ago now, the Nigerian authorities were woefully slow and

inadequate in trying to actually get around to protecting and rescuing

them. Two years, 219 girls are still missing. Aisha is right, they are

more than just a number, but unfortunately the number is so great

that we have to talk in numbers. That is 219 goals and young women

who were abducted two years ago and Boko Haram has actually abducted

2000 girls. That is a staggering and horrifying number. And in some cases

using them as suicide bombers. Exactly. Many of these women have no

choice, they have been brainwashed to become suicide bombers. Sometimes

they don't even know they have had explosives strapped to them.

Absolutely, it is absolutely devastating. Those who are not used

as suicide bombers are taken as wives. More needs to be done to

protect them. Aisha, you talked about trying to comfort some of the

parents and these are mums and dads who have no idea if their daughters

are dead or alive and the last two years must have been the most

excruciating and painful situation of limbo for them. Are they hopeful

that they will see their daughters again? I think there in motion 's

fluctuate. They go from being buried the press to also being optimistic,

which is to be expected. -- go from being very depressed to being

optimistic. There are reports to them of sightings which are

sometimes difficult to verify. If you recall, very recently the young

girl who was found in Cameroon with explosives strapped to her had

said... It was a particularly ethical time for these parents. They

wanted to identify her. -- particularly difficult time. It was

confirmed that there was a possibility that some of these girls

were being used as suicide bombers. It was found out that she was

abducted about a year ago, which is equally tragic. You're saying the

Nigerian government has to do more. What does that mean in practical

terms? They need to improve security in the north-east and we need to CNN

to these kidnappings and these killings of innocent people. In

addition, they need to track these girls, they need to be able to

rescue them and then once they are back in these communities, to

provide the adequate psychosocial care and support that they need.

They have been trying to track them. If they could have rescued them,

presumably they would have done. That is a question you would like to

ask. You don't think they have been trying that much? We're looking at

two years on, 24 months, and the message bring back our girls remains

as alive as it did two years ago. That shouldn't be the case. There

needs to be rescuing of these girls and the 2000 other girls who have

been kidnapped and taken into this militant group. Aisha, a rescue

operation can sound simple. Presumably it's not, or is it? You

tell me. Is that what government forces could have done and still do?

Definitely. I think that at the very beginning a lot more could have been

done. I know it is quite unfortunate. What about now? I think

now we still need to do a lot. In the last two weeks, it has been

It is important there a co-ordination between the State

authorities and the federal authorities. That's important so the

effort will yield better and much quicker results. Thank you both of

you. Thank you very much for talking to us this morning.

Labour says the Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale, is compromised

after the press knew about, but decided not to publish details

concerning his relationship with a sex worker. We'll talk to a Labour

politician and also a former tabloid journalist after 10am.

Now, it is time for the weather. Here is Chris.

It is Alex, Victoria. There is a big contrast with the weather over the

next few days, we have got low pressure down to the south-west of

the UK, but it is to the moving across the UK quickly. It is

sluggish. That means for some big contrasts. We have cracking sunshine

like we had yesterday. This view taken in the Isle of Wight. You can

see mist there and there was thick fog around in a few spots this

morning, but that's clearing away to reveal sunshine in places, but other

parts of the UK, staying dull and dismal. Tommy's Hill, this picture

taken on the Scottish Borders, because the weather patterns aren't

shifting, if you have got the rain this morning, it is like to still be

raining this afternoon. The thick area of cloud continuing

to bring outbreaks of rain. The far north of Scotland should hang on to

brightness and although some rain will trickle into parts of

Yorkshire, brighter than yesterday. Further south, yes, sunny spells

likely, but also showers getting going. Heavy, possibly thundery ones

developing. The far north of Scotland dry and bright, but there

is a keen breeze blowing here. Even with sunshine, it is not

spectacularly warm, but feeling cool under that bank of rain through

Northern Ireland, Southern Scotland and the far north of England, just

eight or nine Celsius, compare and contrast further south, 16s, 17s,

maybe 18 Celsius with sunshine. As well as the sunshine, you will have

to dodge the downpours. Not everywhere will catch a downpour,

but they could be thundery ones later this afternoon and into this

evening. Still some of those heavy showers scattered across the heart

of England and Wales. Still some of that persistent rain across

north-east England and south-east Scotland overnight. Elsewhere, it

does turn drier and it will be milder in the south tonight. Last

night we had a touch of frost through Wiltshire and Somerset.

Tonight, temperatures holding up above freezing here. In Northern

Scotland, maybe a touch of frost through the Scottish glens. Again,

Northern Scotland should see bright weather tomorrow and overall a

brighter day along with Northern Ireland compared to today.

North-east England cheering up too after a damp start. For England and

Wales, again, it is dodge the downpours. Some heavy, spring

showers developing even a few thunderstorms, but still some warm

sunshine. We could see temperatures of 17 Celsius. So we keep the

contrasts for the next couple of days. The low pressure system we

have been talking about for days just getting closer and closer

through Friday and the week and that's going to bring more

persistent rain during Friday in particular. It could be a soggy

affair. The winds starting to increase. Colder air drifting down

from the north as well. It all sets us up for a mixed picture through

the weekend, it will be wet and windy for many of us on Saturday. We

should something drier by Sunday and certainly across the south, it will

be turning colder. Thank you, Alex. I'm sorry for

calling you Chris! Labour says the Culture Secretary

shouldn't be involved in any further decisions on press regulation

after he confirmed a relationship with a sex worker before

he was a government minister. Four newspapers knew about the story

but decided not to run it. Campaigners against press abuses say

he has questions to answer. John Whittingdale needs to be clear

if he told the Prime Minister. If he hid it from the Prime Minister then

he is in real trouble. Has the killing of a Glasgow

shopkeeper exposed hatred and prejudice within

the Muslim community? We've been told of fears that one

sect could be vulnerable to attacks They said, "We will

cut you into pieces. "We will break your legs

and we will even cut your neck, More women are being

diagnosed with womb cancer Researchers say obesity and a lack

of exercise could be to blame? Here's Joanna in the BBC Newsroom

with a summary of today's news. Labour has called for the Culture

Secretary John Whittingdale to withdraw from being involved

in any decisions on press regulation after he confirmed that he'd been

in a relationship with a woman Mr Whittingdale was single

when he met the woman on the dating site match.com in August 2013,

before he was in his current post. Downing Street said he was a "single

man and entitled to a private life" and he had the full confidence

of the Prime Minister. Four newspapers knew about the story

but decided not to publish it. Journalists asked questions

as he left home this morning. REPORTER: Can you regulate the press

after last night's revelations? I have made a statement, I have

nothing to add. What about what Labour are saying?

More than Nothingment 2,000 pupils in Edinburgh,

closed because of concerns about their structural safety,

17 sites were shut last Friday amid fears over the standard

A further 5,000 younger pupils will be spending a third day

at home, and may not resume their studies until next

Students preparing for Scottish Highers and other exams

They are either returning to their own school or have been

Students didn't return to school following the Easter holidays

after Edinburgh Council closed a total of 17 schools

The problems were first uncovered in January when part

of a wall at one school collapsed during high winds.

Other schools were closed after inspections revealed problems

with the way walls and roofs had been built.

Today, three schools, Drummond, Firrhill and Royal High

are partially reopening because the areas causing structural

Two at Gracemount and Craigmount are sending their pupils elsewhere,

but their teachers will go with them to ensure some level

But that still leaves almost 5,000 pupils off school for a third day

The remaining affected secondary, primary and special needs pupils

are likely to be given somewhere to resume lessons

There is still uncertainty about where that will be.

So they will be in a different building, but they will be taught

by their usual teachers in their usual class.

So there should be very little difference to their study except

It's a very logistical exercise, but I'm pleased to say my team have

done a fantastic job at getting those logistics together.

All 17 schools were built as part of the city's

The scale of repairs are as yet unknown and the disruption

Prosecutors in Panama City have raided the offices of the law

Millions of confidential documents were leaked from the firm,

revealing how some wealthy individuals used offshore companies.

A company called Blairmore Holdings, set up by David Cameron's late

Britain's biggest supermarket, Tesco, is back in profit.

The company has reported its first sales growth in three years -

reporting a pre-tax profit of ?162 million for last year.

That compares to a loss of more than ?6 billion for the year before.

A drive towards lower prices and fewer products is

The company has also closed 60 unprofitable stores and sold off

BT is to recruit 900 people to work in its security business.

It's part of a major drive to protect consumers,

businesses and governments from the growing

The company said a number of high-profile security and data

breaches that have dominated the headlines in recent months has

led to more consumers wanting to know how best

High rates of unemployment in southern and eastern Europe have

been named as among the key factors driving an increase in the number

Over the last five years the number of EU nationals living in the UK

has gone up by almost 700,000 to 3.3 million.

account for 80% of that increase - Spain, Italy, Portugal,

A leading cancer charity is warning that obesity may be fuelling

a significant rise in the number of women being diagnosed

Cancer Research UK says the number of cases has almost doubled

Around 9,000 women are found to have the disease every year

in the UK, with around 2,000 deaths as a result.

A BBC investigation has found that police officers in England and Wales

have seized almost 5,000 dogs in the last three years -

on suspicion that they are banned breeds.

The RSPCA is calling for the Dangerous Dogs Act to be updated

to ensure dogs are judged on their behaviour alone.

But the government says a ban on certain breeds helps manage

the heightened risk those animals pose.

The British playwright Sir Arnold Wesker has died, aged 83,

his wife Lady Wesker has confirmed to the BBC.

The writer first came to prominence in the late 1950s for his gritty,

working class dramas about everyday life.

His wife said he died yesterday evening after a long illness.

That's a summary of the latest BBC News.

Over the next hour we'll bring you the latest breaking news

and developing stories and any comments.

We will speak to Labour's cull tier spokeswoman in a moment. John says,

"I don't know why we are talking about this. Surely there are more

important issues that affect us. Pathetic." Another viewer says,

"People in power need to be whiter than white." Ali tweets, "A single

man has a relationship with a single woman, what's the story?" Sam says,

"It is not about the woman being a sex worker, it is about the press

holding something over him when he is in charge of press regulation."

This texter says, "Whittingdale sleaze, slar public servant paid

through public purse." Graham texts, "The action of Government ministers

should be exemplary. When not, we have good cause to complain. Every

day citizens like you and me can dodge our taxes or get mixed up with

prostitutes. Members of the Government can't and shouldn't."

More in a second. Here is Hugh with the sport.

Manchester City are celebrating. It was a 1-0 win over Paris St Germain

and a place in the last four for them. They are joined by this man

and Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo helped them overcome a 2-0 deficit.

He did it all. His hat-trick at was enough to give them a 3-2 overall

win. Andy Murray is one out of one on clay. He won his first match of

the year on the surface beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert. And Adam Pety

is on his way to the Rio Olympics. Just 21, but he qualifies for the

Games and hoping to add to the three world titles he won last year. I

will have more later on for you. Labour have called for

the Culture Secretary to withdraw from being involved in any decisions

on press regulation after John Whittingdale confirmed

that he had been in a relationship Mr Whittingdale was single

when he met her on the dating site match.com in August 2013,

before he was in his current post. Downing Street says he was a single

man and had the right to a private life.

Four newspapers knew about the story, but decided not to publish

it. The Sun said they were not making any comment. The Independent

did not return our calls. The editor of the Mail on Sunday was

unavailable to speak to us and no comment was made. And a spokesman

for the Trinity Mirror Group, they own the Sunday People was looking

into providing a statement, but nothing has cold through from them

yet. Mr John Whittingdale left his home

on the way to work and was greeted by reporters.

I have made a statement. I have nothing further to add. Shouldn't be

taking decisions about... Nothing further to add. Maria Eagle, good

morning. What is the problem here? The problem is not about whatever he

gets up to in his private life, he is entitled to whatever he gets up

to in his private life. The issue here is that he regulates and is

responsible for press regulation and it's about perceptions. Before the

election there was cross-party agreement that the Leveson Inquiry's

accommodations ought to be in demented, and the addition of Mr

Whittingdale has changed from before the election to after the election,

when he is now responsible for doing that implementation and the question

is now whether or not in view of these regulations he ought to now

just step back from taking those decisions simply because of the way

it looks and the way in which perceptions are important in

politics. I think that is the issue will stop its about whether or not

he should be taking those -- these decisions, in view of these

regulations. It's nothing to do with what he gets up to in his private

life, which is a matter for him. Since he became the Secretary of

State and since the election he had decided not to implement part of the

cross-party agreement. What point are you making there? The point that

I'm making is that there is a perception, the possibility of the

fact that he's done this because of, he knew that these revelations were

available to newspapers, perceptions are important in politics and I

think it would be better now if he didn't take these decisions about

implementation simply because of what happened. I'm not saying that

he shouldn't have done whatever he did in his private life, I'm not

interested in that. But his position has changed from before the election

to after the election on press regulation and I think that the

perceptions that that may be because of this story is important. I think

he needs to therefore step back in respect of this particular Anju

influence and allow someone else to take these decisions about

implementing Leveson. There was an agreement beforehand cross-party

that Levinson should be lamented in respect of part two of the inquiry

and in respect of the cost provisions, commencing section four

of the crime and Courts act, and the perception from before the election

to after the election has changed and the question will legitimately

be asked, is it anything to do with these facts and these revelations

about his private life? Do you think it is? I don't know and nobody knows

apart from the Secretary of State and the editors what the real

position is. Vista Whittingdale himself has said that there was

absolutely no conflict of interest. He hasn't done anything differently

as a result of what happened in his private life and the fact that

newspapers new and chose not to publish it. There was an agreement

cross-party placed onto the statute book in the crime and Courts act

about cost provisions for those newspapers, being applied to

newspapers who don't comply with it, who don't join the Levinson

compliant regulator and he has universally decided he will not

commence those revisions. It is about whether or not he was

adversely influenced in that respect and I think you would be better for

him and better for the government if somebody else were making those

decisions. That is the simple point I'm making, that there cannot be any

perception of undue influence. At the moment the way things stand,

there is that perception and I think he should step back from making

these decisions. What about the other decisions? He is also in

charge of media and mergers, should he stepped back from that? He should

certainly recuse himself from these decisions about Levinson. He has two

R Kinsella whether there is any perception of undue influence. And

he should have a very clear think about that. He already has. You know

his statement, there was no... He hasn't done anything differently as

a result and I think perceptions... I think perceptions matter in

politics. We have seen that over the Panama papers. Perceptions matter

and trust in politics matters and what we can't have is a Secretary of

State who, there is a potential perception that he is being overly

influenced by stories that the media may have on him and whether or not

they should be printed. I think he needs to step back from these

decisions and I think that the Prime Minister is keen to make sure that

the victims of phone hacking are properly dealt with, as he promised

before the election. He needs to make sure that the -- there is no

perception that the person making those decisions is unduly influenced

by stories the media may have on him. I just want to read his

statement because it is worth it for our audience.

Do you think, why do you think the newspapers didn't publish this

story? I don't know, you have to ask the editors that. I'm not interested

in second-guessing editors's decisions, what I'm saying is that

perception matters. He is responsible for press regulation,

there was an agreement cross-party placed before the last general

election, placed into legislation, and we need to make sure that these

revelations have nothing to do and are seen to have nothing to do with

the way he is now changing apperception is on the half of the

government. That means you don't take John Whittingdale at his word

when he says... No, it means that perceptions matter in politics. If

he thinks carefully about this, he would want to recuse himself from

these decisions. Should he have told the Prime Minister about this

relationship and the fact that some stories were sniffing around the

stories of the relationship before he took the job as Culture

Secretary? I think it would probably have been expected that something of

this significance should have been discussed, but that is a matter for

him and it's a matter for the Prime Minister. The reality is I'm not

interested in his private life, I'm interested in the perception of the

person making decisions about press regulation appearing to have the

press having an embarrassing story that they can hold over him. Thank

you very much, Maria Eagle, who is Labour's culture spokeswoman.

Here with me are Neil Wallis, a former Deputy Editor of the News

of the World and Daisy Cooper, who is joint executive director

It says on its website that it campaigns for a free and accountable

press. Let's take that point about perception, Neil. Do you accept

that? I think you can throw together any conspiracy theories you like.

Perceptions do matter in politics, don't they? They do and we can put

together all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories and create a

perception. That's what Hacked Off, that's what Labour and the BBC are

doing here today, they are creating a conspiracy suggesting that somehow

the media, this is the thrust of this, the print media have

themselves been in a conspiracy to cover this up and to have a hold

over John Whittingdale and it is nonsensical. I'm just asking the

questions. No, no, I realise that. The idea that you have the left-wing

Daily Mirror, the right wing is the right wing the sun, all getting

together... This is proof that self-regulation works. In the

post-Levinson in there. That is precisely what this proves. This

proves that what the great and the good are campaigning for, lessening

intrusions into privacy have worked, but what I know is that newspapers

have looked at this and they found a single man had an affair with a

single woman. There is no suggestion that he knew what her job was. So if

you look at what Hacked Off have been demanding and what the BBC have

been championing and what the Guardian are screaming from the

rooftops and the Independent incidentally have led the way on

this as well, it worked. They did not intrude into his privacy. It

would be really interesting to talk to one of those editors but none of

them have come onto the programme yet. Perhaps they will later. You

were shaking your head in disagreement with Neil, but isn't

this what you're campaign group has been campaigning for in the past few

years? Don't intrude into people's private lives? This is about policy.

Since jotting that -- John Whittingdale was made Culture

Secretary, he has been backtracking on policy that was agreed

cross-party and by the whole of Parliament. He has blocked critical

access to justice legislation which would guarantee access to justice

for victims of libel and press intrusion. His rhetoric around

Levinson part two', part two of the inquiry which will examine the

relationship between the press and police. The question is whether that

goes ahead rather than when, and we have been asking for a long time now

to tell us when you are backtracking, you should not block

this legislation and you should guarantee that you're going to

commence Levinson part two'. Isn't that about the inquiry is coming to

an end before they continue with Leveson part two'. The cross-party

agreement was that it would start after the criminal trials have

ended. What we have seen recently is that anonymous government sources

have been quoted in mainstream papers saying that after those

trials the question will be whether and rather than when. You are

linking that with the fact that newspapers had information about Mr

Whittingdale's private life a year before he became Culture Secretary.

We want to know why this backtracking has taken place and the

allegations that have been published and they are suggesting that there

is an due influence. You can bet your bottom dollar that if there was

any accusation of any other minister that was not responsible for the

press... An due influence from those four newspapers on Mr Whittingdale

as Culture Secretary to backtrack? These are the allegations that have

been made. By whom. A website of conspiracy theorists and not jobs.

It is a conspiracy Mac -- it is a website interested in

public interest journalism. If there were allegations about an due

influence or if you want to know about undue influence that is in the

Public interest and people should know about it. Let me give you an

example of part of the evidence on this story from this independent

journalist who has written a piece, he claims that the Independent

refused to publish this story because it rented rooms from the

Daily Mail. So this conspiracy is that they did not run the story in

case the Daily Mail evicted them! Conquers!

He is a political correspondent no longer working at the Independent

making also some claims about what the mail on Sunday is supposed to

have said. On the perception point, should Mr Whittingdale step back now

from any decisions on press regulation? What we want to see at

Hacked Off is we want to see Mr Whittingdale stop blocking this

critical access to justice legislation and we won the

confirmation that Leveson part two will actually go ahead. The Prime

Minister admitted that the relationship between the press and

politicians had got too cosy. He said that Gerina Piller Leveson

Inquiry. The perception is that that relationship has not changed at all.

-- he said it during the Leveson Inquiry. What we have here is the

most classic example of... Yes or no, should he step back? He is being

speared by Hacked Off. Thank you very much, both of you.

Thanks for coming on the programme. Your views on that story of course

very, very welcome. So many comments and I will try to read some more in

the next half-hour. Still to come, we hear from Ahmadi Muslims

fear for -- who fear for their safety after an increasing number of

attacks from other Muslims. Here is Joanna in the BBC newsroom.

Labour has called for Culture Secretary John Whittingdale to

withdraw from being involved in any decisions on press regulation, after

he confirmed he had been in irrigation ship with a woman who was

a sex worker. Mr Whittingdale was single when he met the woman on a

dating site in 2013, before he was in his post. Downing Street said he

was a single man in title to a private life and he had the full

confidence of the Prime Minister. Four newspapers knew about this

story but decided not to publish it. S Good morning.

REPORTER: Can you regulate the press after last night's revelations? I

have made a statement. I have nothing further to add. What about

what Labour are saying? Nothing further.

More than 2,000 pupils in Edinburgh, whose schools had been

closed because of concerns about their structural safety,

17 sites were shut last Friday amid fears over the standard

A further 5,000 younger pupils will be spending

a third day at home, and may not resume their studies

A company called Blairmore Holdings, set up by David Cameron's late

Britain's biggest supermarket, Tesco, is back in profit.

The company has reported its first sales growth in three years,

reporting a pre-tax profit of ?162 million for last year.

That compares to a loss of more than ?6 billion for the year before.

A drive towards lower prices and fewer products is

The company has also closed 60 unprofitable stores and sold off

The British playwright Sir Arnold Wesker has died, aged 83,

his wife Lady Wesker has confirmed to the BBC.

The writer first came to prominence in the late 1950s for his gritty,

working class dramas about everyday life.

His wife said he died yesterday evening after a long illness.

Join me for BBC Newsroom Live at 11am.

Hugh will be here shortly. You can e-mail me. You can message us on

Twitter. There is texting and Facebooking as well. Here is the

sport from Hugh. Manuel Pellegrini put it like this:

Manchester City are one of the best They've reached the semi-finals

of the Champions League A 1-0 win over Paris ST Germain

at the Etihad last night completing Let's talk about this with our

football reporter Simon Stone. Simon this is a club that's come

a long way in the last ten years and had a lot of success,

but even so, a real achievement. It is, indeed, Hugh. Over the last

ten years with all the investment Manchester City won Premier League

titles, they have won FA Cups, they have won League Cups, they have

never got beyond the last 16 of the Champions League until this season.

They made the quarterfinals. Now, they are in the semifinals. We know

that Real Madrid are in there as well. We expect some of other

European clubs to be there. It is a real statement of intent from

Manchester City. A great moment for debruner getting that goal. It is

Manuel Pellegrini's last season and he leaves with what could be their

greatest triumph He was told in February that he would be leaving

his job at the end of the season and the Bayern Munich manager would be

coming in. There is the beautiful irony of them meeting in the

tournament either at the semifinals or possibly the final. Manuel

Pellegrini arrived as the quiet engineer. He is going to leave

Manchester City potentially making a very, very big noise indeed. Real

Madrid had a different task on their hands, didn't they? They were 2-0

down and won 3-2 like City, but via a 3-0 win. Cristiano Ronaldo did the

hard work again? Absolutely. In Manchester City are breaking new

ground by reaching the semifinals then it is not a new experience for

Real Madrid and it is not a new experience for Cristiano Ronaldo to

be the standard-out performer. A hat-trick and once again stamping

his class as one of the best players in the world and he is a man to

avoid, I think. A lot to avoid for Manchester City, bearing in mind who

could be the semifinalists. We know two of the four that are through to

the last four. Tonight the others will be decided. Let's look at what

is to come later on. Barcelona defend a 2-1 first leg lead at

Atletico Madrid. Simon Stone, thank you very much

indeed for joining us. Victoria, it is back to you.

Has the killing of a Muslim shopkeeper in Glasgow exposed hatred

and prejudice within the Muslim community in this country?

Police have described the murder of Asad Shah last month

They are a small sect who many other Muslims think don't belong to Islam,

because of their different views on the prophet Muhammad.

Now we've been told by one Muslim group that they are increasingly

worried that Ahmadis may be attacked by other more extreme Muslims.

We'll be talking about this in a few minutes but first BBC Asian Network

reporter Athar Ahmad has been to the UK's biggest Ahmadi mosque.

Friday prayers at the Baitul Futuh mosque in south London.

It is the largest in the UK and thousands of worshippers have

come together to hear the weekly sermon.

It is airport-style security and we are vigilant and we look

We are not a professional outfit like the police but we do

37-year-old Farouq is an Ahmadi Muslim.

There are about 30,000 others like him in the UK.

But some Muslims do not recognise Ahmadis as being part of their faith

because of their belief in a prophet after Muhammad who came

This results in Ahmadis being labelled as apostates,

and in extreme cases worthy of being killed.

It's not usual to see such a high amount of security like this

at mosques in the UK but the worshippers

That is because there is a real feeling they may be at risk

Aneesa came to the UK in 2012 with her 15-year-old son Bilal.

She had been receiving death threats from her neighbours in Pakistan

She does not want us to show her face or Bilal's

because she's worried about being targeted.

They said, "We will cut you into pieces.

"We will break your legs and we will even cut your neck,

They do not consider us Muslim. But we are Muslim, God knows better.

Earlier this week the BBC discovered leaflets calling for the killing of

It comes after the killing of Asah Shah in his shop

A killing that might have been on religious grounds.

Fiyaz Mughal is from Tell Mama, a group which monitors Islamophobic

He says they are seeing an increase in anti-Ahmadi

We've had material where they are regarded as individuals

who should be exterminated, calling Ahmadis cockroaches,

and monkeys, calling Ahmadis individuals who should not have any

In a statement, the Home Office said:

Heavy security will continue to be a feature of some Ahmadi

Though many are praying a time will come when it is no longer needed.

We can now speak to two Ahmadi Muslims.

Ayesha Malik who emigrated from Pakistan two years ago

and Umar Nasser, President of the Ahmadi Muslim Student

Also here is Dr Sundas Ali, a Sunni Muslim and Islamic academic

as well as Iman Abou Atta from the organisation Tell Mama,

which has been monitoring anti-Ahmadi attacks.

Thank you very much for coming on the programme. What is the

difference between a Muslim and an Ahmadi Muslim? So the belief that

the majority of Muslims which are Sunni Muslims. They believe that

there is one God which is Allah and the final prophet is prophet peace

be upon him. Ahmadi s believe there was another prophet after Prophet

Muhammad who was born in Punjab in 1835. That's the major difference.

Would you agree with that? Yes, I think, broadly speaking that is the

main thee logical difference. I think we have a difference in how we

interpret the prophethood and we believe the prophet, we believe in

the founder of the Muslim community is also the second coming of the med

seeia that all major religions have been waiting for. Do you believe

that Ahmadi s are Muslims? I confirm to the beliefs that Sunni Muslims

conform to. If Sunni Muslims believe they are not, I would like, as an

academic, as a researcher, I do, I think it is important to speak to

everybody and to understand and I think ultimately at the end of the

day, it is God who judges, who is Muslim and who is non-Muslim, but of

course, as a category, as a Sunni Muslim, this is, you know, I conform

to that belief, but I do want to be open-minded and speak. Sure. It

sounds like you're saying he is not, she is not. I'm nobody to judge. I

think that people who judge are limited. I don't think human beings

can judge who is a Muslim and who is a non-Muslim. I think it is and of

course, I am not a relugeous scholar, but I think it is God who

ultimately judges, I don't discriminate against any of these.

There are a number of Muslims who discriminate against people like

yourself. What is the danger with that? Well, the worry is that when

you have people saying that Ahmadi s are not Muslims it says they may

look like Muslims and sound like Muslims, but they are not Muslims.

Don't let them trick you. Don't trust them. That can lead to

discrimination and persecution and that's what we see all the time when

a non-Muslim status has been written into law.

There are Pakistanis who are saying Pakistan is different. Is that

right? Or is there tension in this country? What is happening in

Pakistan is quite different. We have had a long history of severe and

brutal persecution. We have had our mosques torched and people's homes

have been burned down and you have to sign a form saying everything you

believe in is false to get a Pakistani passport. So it is

institutionalised sustained persecution. Obviously there is

nothing like that. There is no State sanctioned persecution in the UK,

but there have been pockets where if you like, Muslim heavy areas, where

certain communities who, I think, this also goes back to the Radio 4

documentary that's being played about the rise of extremists coming

into the UK. I think the larger concern for me personally is that

ideology creeping into the UK and I think with the rise of that

extremist ideology you have certain individuals who do have hate filled

ideology and they do have... How does that manifest itself in

Britain? I think the thing to remember is that individuals who

have extremist inclin nations, they do exist in the UK. And that is a

problem of radicalisation that we are facing as a community, as a

society at large. And that just doesn't threaten Ahmadis that

threatens everyone in the community. Let me bring in the ammam then. What

kind of things have you been seeing and are these incidents on the rise?

So in the last year, we have been seeing an increase in anti-Ahmadi

rhetoric promoted in both the online sphere as well as on the street

level and recently following the unfortunate murder of the

shopkeeper, Asad Shah In Glasgow, we have seen an increase in attacks on

the Ahmadi community. We measure attacks that take place on Muslim

communities and we are not in a place to judge who is Muslim and who

is not. It is up to the perception of individuals to see who they are

and it is up to God eventually. But in terms of monitoring the

incidents, are you able to pinpoint who is, the people who are

perpetrating the attacks, whether it is verbal or physical? Absolutely.

Is it Muslims attacking Muslims? It comes from all kinds. It is from

different sectors of the Muslim community that perceive the Ahmadis

as non-Muslims and these messages of hate and promotion of hate and

intolerance, they don't fit well with the values of what the UK

stands for or any community. If you continue to play the background

noise of these messages, will that lead to? Will that lead to further

hate, further extreme messages going out? Further acts of extremism

taking place towards this community and other communities? And are you

hearing on university campuses these kind of negative experiences? Yeah,

absolutely. We have had some more severe incidents. So for instance

after one of our events in a major cofrt in London, the ex-president of

the Islamic Society there gave out leaflets to our audience calling for

our death. We have had students physically assaulted. Those are the

kind of exceptions, those aren't the rule, but at a lower level, you have

a sense of anti-Ahmadi prejudice. Islamic Societies have sent out

e-mails saying don't go to our ehaven'ts and they link to extremist

websites and even on a personal level, I remember when I was at my

university, I remember I once received an e-mail from the Islamic

Society saying you are not allowed to use the word, "Islam" In your

event title. They said you should call it Women in Ahmadi. What did

you do? I said you don't have a trademark on the name Islam. People

are allowed to self identify as they wish. This will be in the eyes of

God who is a Muslim and who isn't. We groups shouldn't start imposing

on other groups what they can and can't call themselves.

I think an important message coming through here is that there is a

small group of individuals who have hijacked a certain portion of the

religion. They assume the mantle of God's faithful and they have taken

it upon themselves what the correct theological position is and they

know that they are have described this phenomenon as holding the texts

hostage. The irony is twofold here. Firstly it is ironic because this

authority to compel or to judge was denied even to the Prophet himself,

the most revered person in Islamic history and in the Koran -- God says

you have no authority or no authority could to compel them.

Secondly, in what is probably the greatest testament of human rights

discourse in Islam, that religion and your spirituality is your rights

that you owe to God and that is the exclusive space between man and God.

Only God has the right to forgive transgressions or judge who is a

Muslim or a Christian or who is not a Muslim. Briefly, because we have a

few minutes left and I want to talk about possible... To finish, sorry.

I think the most important human rights are those to other human

beings and he says I will not forget those rights. It's kind of ironic

that those people... Do you agree with that? Yes, I think it is an

unfortunate situation that Muslims are facing at the moment or Islam as

a religion, that there are so many differences. Even the difference

with Sunni and Shia, that affects unity and effective leadership and

there are so many vital, grave issues that need to be addressed in

the Muslim community today such as extremism and terrorism and we are

not able to address these issues because there is this division. A

very real division, leading to violence in Pakistan, in Indonesia

and now it has been carried to the UK. There are bigger problems,

fundamental issues that Muslims need to focus on. In terms of this

particular tension we are talking about this morning, what are the

solutions? How could this be resolved? Is it just going to be

there forever? I think we can have disagreements on theology and

theological interpretations. This is the place to actually talk about it.

In the UK each one can express their own opinion. I think there is a line

we should not cross and that is when you start inciting hate the

different types of communities. That is already happening, that line is

being crossed. How do we get people to pull back from that? It is

promoting messages of tolerance and in the UK promoting messages of

unity that we have, no matter what the community is. No one is in a

place to judge any other person whether Muslim or Christian.

Promoting the messages of humanity and what people stand for and what

we stand for as universal values is important, and tackling these

messages of hate because if you don't stand against them and talk

about them, we need to highlight them because the problem is, with

anti-Ahmadi rhetoric out there, no one is rebutting these. That is a

problem. We denied the finality of the Prophet Muhammad, they say that

is a fundamental tenet but we affirm that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be

upon him, was the final law bearing messenger but we agree with other

Muslims that there can be follower prophets who simply reform Muslims

after that and bring people back to God. They don't change Islam and

that is what we believe the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was. Most

people need to start thinking for themselves and realising this is not

something terribly different, this is something approachable. Even if

it is terribly different, you -- it doesn't justify violence. Violence

is never justified. It's important... Religion, instead of

being used as a vehicle of violence, it should be used to spread love and

compassion. Universities should come together, people of all faiths, to

promote love and peace in society and if your religion is not teaching

you that, you are not doing any service to your faith. Thank you

very much. We wish you all the best. The main story in the news today is

the Culture Secretary's previous relationship with a sex worker. This

is John Whittingdale leaving his home this morning. He says he did

not know what the woman did for a living and he ended the relationship

as soon as he found out. Neighbour are calling for him to withdraw from

being involved in any decisions on press regulation after four

newspapers knew about the story but decided not to publish it. Mr

Whittingdale denies that it has had any influence on his decisions as a

minister. Downing Street said he was a single man and entitled to a

private life and that he has the full confidence of the Prime

Minister. So many of you have got in touch with us this morning about the

story. Jenny says, who cares what this man has done as long as he did

not pay her with taxpayer's money. Another says this.

Next, womb cancer affects more than 8000 women a year in the UK and is

the fourth most diagnosed type but it is one of the lesser-known

cancers. Today a lesser-known cancer charity is warning that obesity may

be to blame for a rise in the number of cases in the last two decades.

Other factors linked to this form of cancer include a lack of exercise.

However, those warnings might ring hollow with deadbeat Vince, who was