19/04/2017 Victoria Derbyshire

Hello - good morning - welcome to the programme -

we're live in Westminster this morning because today Theresa May

goes to the Commons to ask Mps to agree to a snap general

in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success Brexit it will

cause damaging uncertainty and instability to the country, so we

need a general election, and we need one now.

Not another one! Over God's sake, honestly, I can't stand this,

there's too much politics going on at the moment, why does she need to

do it? Throughout

the programme - we'll look at what that election means

for the country, for Brexit, for Scotland,

for the various political parties I am just feeling an overwhelming

sense of trade, I'll only 20 years old and I am tired of the process. I

just feel it is important to make a decision, let's see where we go from

there and have some form of stability. I am really excited about

the election, I look forward to any form of more democracy but I don't

feel there's that much on the table with voting for so I will be

demanding a lot more from politicians of they want to get my

vote. What about you? Wherever you are in the UK,

throughout the programme- if you're tweeting use

It looks like Theresa May's plans to hold a general election

on June 8th will be voted for by MPs today.

The Prime Minister, who's repeatedly ruled out am early election,

says she needs a fresh mandate, to strengthen her hand

This morning, we're at Westminster, with an audience of around 20 voters

hello, good morning, thank you very much for coming here and giving up

your time, I'm sure you have much more important things to do, so we

are very grateful. And various politicians will be

popping in throughout the programme - plus our political guru

Norman Smith is here... We will talk to him in a second.

Voters, who wants a general election on 8th of June? Most of you. Do you

think you are representative of the wider UK? Possibly not. I am Serena,

a journalist as well. I think there is a degree of voter fatigue. You

wanted an election. Ifill excited their escape to be one, in the

period before she gave an announcement yesterday I was rooting

for it, let's get out there, but the stamp on Brexit or not if we want

to, let's make our voices heard but I do think generally people across

the country who are not so interested in politics might be

thinking, oh my God, here we go again. I think Theresa May

might suffer with a lower than expected turnout, actually. That

interesting. Who else things there might be a lower than expected

turnout, maybe because of election fatigue? I think less people will

vote this time around because less people are feeling confident about

the whole process. They don't know who to vote for. People are just not

going to come and vote, rather than voting for someone they don't

believe in don't understand. Do you want a general election or not? I

personally do. I run a business, that is my day job and I know the

leadership is important. See you don't want instability during a

election campaign? Won I think it is a great idea to have an elected

Prime Minister. If she is re-elected what will she bring you? Won she

will have a mandate and more firepower behind her to make her

stable Brexit. She will have another journeys share new manifesto so I

think it is a great opportunity for her to lay out her cards. What

promises of David Cameron's would you be ditching if you were Theresa

May? I don't know yet and I look forward to what she has to say. Who

else is excited about the general election? I am Reese, an SNP voter.

A university student. I am excited in the sense that if Theresa May

gets re-elected, then it shows if the yes and the re-elected in high

enough voters, does Scotland want a referendum? In May 2015, the SNP won

56 out of 59 suits -- seats. Can the SNP better that? If it does, will it

be opponents of Nicola Sturgeon? In my constituency it is poised that

the Conservatives might take that because of Labour's massive defeat,

I think the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats will have a good

chance of taking some SNP seats. Right. What about the fact that

Theresa May changed her mind, does that bother anybody? I think it is

Pollock -- problematic because when a politician says they won't do

something you wouldn't hope they would. It does show some kind of

leadership. She is kind of monopolising the fact that other

parties are not showing as much strength in leadership and it has

kind of shaken up the status quo. Politics is daily life and you have

to change your mind sometimes, it is something you have to do. Even last

month, her spokesman saying there will be no quick election. You have

to seize the opportunity. BOTS of use. Why did she change her mind? --

lots of different views. I have just chaired a meeting of the

Cabinet where we agreed that the government should call a general

election to be held on the 8th of June. I'm not going to be calling a

snap election. I've been very clear that I think we need that period of

time, that stability to be able to deal with the issues that the

country is facing and to have that election in 2020. Since I became

Prime Minister, I have said there should be no election until 2020,

but now I have concluded that the only way to guarantee certainty and

stability for the years ahead is to hold the selection. It is not so

much the Ironman lady as the -- the Iron Lady as the Ioane lady. I have

got a plan, she doesn't have a clue. We will not allow Scotland's

interests to be steam-rollered. At this moment of enormous national

significance, there should be unity here in Westminster, but instead

there is division. We recognise the decision is to leave the European

Union. If the people of this country think they are going to be

cheated... Parliament alone is sovereign. We will reject any

attempt to undo the referendum result. A choice is emerging here.

But we don't trust the government. We do know that it is a dog's

Brexit. We want a red, white and blue Brexit. The eyes to the right

331. There shall be a meaningful vote in Scotland. They are in chaos,

disarray. If we don't hold a general election now, their political

gameplaying will continue. General election, you're joking, not another

one! The God's sake, honestly, I can't stand this. There is too much

politics going on at the moment. Let me bring in Jonathan Ashworth, a

member of Jeremy Corbyn's top speaks for the Labour Party on health

matters. Former would be Prime Minister and key leave campaigner

Michael Gove. And you know Norman Smith, our political guru. Mr Gove,

why is it in the interest of the country as opposed to the

Conservative Party and Conservative government to hold a general

election the summer? I think we need stability. So have a general

election? Are you joking? You are saying that with a straight face!

Yes. Nicola Sturgeon and the Liberal Democrats and the guys over there in

the House of Lords. They haven't managed it so far. You have decent

if not thumping majorities for the Brexit bill in both the Commons and

Lords in the end. Absolutely full stop so what is the problem? We have

a new piece of legislation, the Great Repeal Bill, which all of said

they they are going to deliver thing to make difficult. One of the ways

we can do that is by going to the people and saying, look, there are

some individuals trying to sabotage the result of the referendum, trying

to frustrate the Prime Minister, give her that mandate with a

manifesto, a commitment to press ahead with the change you voted for

last year. How much has she been swayed? By the poll ratings? I do

note. I haven't spoken to her. I think the critical thing is Mickey

sure we have a stronger government. How much do you think she was swayed

by this lead? Any politician will look at poll ratings, yes, that the

critical decision Theresa May is in the national interest. I worked with

her, indeed I ran against to be Prime Minister, and one of the

things about the reason is that she takes time before she comes to a

conclusion about -- about Theresa May. She has decided, as she said

reluctantly, is to have the general election is the best thing to do so

that she and her team can input about the country wanted. Voters

like straight talkers, you know that, you know that, and they

thought she was one when she repeatedly said "There will be no

early general election". How will they trust her again? When the facts

change, you change mine. What has changed? Nicola Sturgeon has made it

clear she is going to use the SNP... And that was a surprise? It was the

case that Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP had said they would not need to

be another Scottish referendum for a generation, she clearly regards for

years as a -- the Paw years as a generation. One of the things we

will see that this general election is the SNP knocked back... But which

facts have changed? The decision by Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP to say

we want a second referendum, the fact they said that they would do

everything possible to bring that forward earlier, the fact that the

Liberal Democrats said they will fight tooth and nail and the

Conservatives do not have a majority in the House of Lords. You knew

that, that is not a fact that has changed. What has changed is the

Liberal Democrats and others using every trick in the book to frustrate

the democratic will of the people. They could easily have said look, we

understand the referendum result, we're not going to frustrate it. On

the night of the referendum, Paddy Ashdown said when the British people

have spoken you respect their will, that is democracy. Now Tim Farron

has decided no. Tim Farron, a leader of nine MPs. And 100 peers in the

House of Lords, one of the good things about it, funny place, is

that if you have an election promise in a manifesto, the House of Lords

have to back down. At the moment they feel they can play merry hell

with the Brexit and the referendum. But in the end they voted for the

Brexit bill. They also made it clear that while they were going to accept

that, the real battle would begin over the Great Repeal Bill and other

legislation. The fact that the House of Commons, having voted so

decisively for us to leave, the House of Lords and others said we

have got that out of the way, now we are going to fight a guerrilla

campaign. That is a changed political dynamic and one to which

the Prime Minister has responded anything in the right way.

Ultimately the people will decide whether or not they think the Prime

Minister is right, and I think when we see Theresa May returned with an

increased majority, with a strengthened hand and with the

confidence of the country behind confidence of the country behind

her, that means we can get on with the calm orderly and successful

Brexit for which people voted. Jonathan Ashworth from the Labour

Party, even if Prime Minister Theresa May is seen as a Prime

Minister who breaks promises, do you think she will win this general

election? I never ever take voters for granted. Michael is a good

fellow, but Conservative MPs are going around saying it will be a

great thumping majority for Theresa May, it sounds a bit arrogant.

Voters don't like to be taken for granted and I have been involved in

many elections campaign, both behind-the-scenes and as a

candidate, and I never predict them, because this is a seven-week

campaign, anything can happen. Is Jeremy Corbyn the best person to

lead Britain? Yes, he is the Labour Party government and I believe a

Labour government would be better forgotten. He would be better than

to loser May? Yes, because he would be a Labour Prime Minister, and we

need a Labour government to get the NHS off its knees, reversing the

cuts that many primary schools are going to have imposed across them

across the country. And get people working again where wages are

stagnating. They led government will tackle these issues that is why I am

a Labour Party MP, and a Labour candidate in this election and I

will be campaigning hard across the country for Labour victories. If Mrs

May does win, and we are not predicting anything, I am saying if,

can Jeremy Corbyn stay on as Labour leader? Politicians never answer

these hypothetical questions. We are campaigning hard for every single

vote, and I am not going to take for granted or pre-empt the voters in

any way. I am not asking you to. You saw the bar, if you are saying if

the raise a wins. OK, if Jeremy Corbyn wins, will Labour get behind

him finally? We will have a Labour government that will be a Labour

parliament. If Mrs May wins, can Jeremy Corbyn stay on? My focus is

working hard for a Labour victory across the country. We will see

where we are on election night but I don't think that will happen. I

think the Labour Party will have a strong message, talking about the

free school meals policy, talking about increasing carers allowance

for many people who care for elderly people. Increasing the living wage

to ?10 an hour. We will be talking about these issues in the campaign.

And you haven't mentioned Brexit. The number one issue for the UK

population apparently? Actually the NHS is pretty high up. In the

Observer Mori polling the NHS had overtaken Brexit. But Theresa May's

campaign is all going to be about Brexit, she doesn't get to decide

what it will be about. What is Labour's Brexit vision? We have got

Brexit. I campaign for remain. We are not frustrating, we voted for

the relevant legislation. What is your Brexit vision? We don't want a

Brexit deal that means a race to the bottom where people's rights at work

are dilutive, where approach to international trade and attracting

investment is to become a sort of bargain basement economy with low

levels of corporation tax. That kind of approach to corporation tax I

don't believe is in the interest of public service is.

Where will Theresa May pick up these new seats if she wants to increase

the Conservatives' working majority? He is right, you should never take

any vote for granted but it is the case that across the country you see

many people who voted leave in the referendum, whatever their previous

allegiance, who want a strong Prime Minister, and other people who do

not regard themselves as this or that tribally who also want a strong

leader and in a General Election where leadership will be important

Theresa May is well-placed to attract support from a range of

people who may have never voted Conservative before. You want to put

numbers on how increased the Conservative majority will be? By

Jonathan, I don't have the capacity to see into the future. You expected

to go up? I hope it will and the potential is there and I'm convinced

when people have the opportunity to compare Theresa May with Jeremy

Corbyn and reflect on who they would like to have in No 10 it is bound to

be the case that more people will vote for Theresa May. And you will

have heard the theory that she wants to win a bigger majority than David

Cameron achieved in 2015 in May. In order to also strengthen her own

hand with hard-line backbench Brexit ear Conservative MPs, perhaps like

yourself, and that would allow her to deliver a softer Brexit. She has

got the big calls on Brexit Risoul find my view is the Prime Minister

is the person who is there at the negotiating table, who has the heavy

responsibility of judging what is best in the national interest and as

far as I'm concerned the bigger majority and stronger her hand the

better. I'm not going to second-guess the Prime Minister on

that because she won an election as Conservative Party leader on

incrementing Brexit and all of my Conservative colleagues would say

this, certainly those that voted for Brexit, would say she has played a

blinder so far. Come a little nearer because I want you to talk to the

voters who are here from across the UK. We are grateful for your time.

Michael Gove, Jonathan Ashworth, tell them what you think of an

election in six or seven weeks' time. Introduce yourself. My name is

Harry, I am a student and a Liberal Democrat voter. I have to say, I

think an election in six or seven weeks' time is brilliant because it

allows us to change the our country is going in. Listening to your

interview, Mr Gove, I am astounded that you say the Liberal Democrats

are trying to wreck the will of the people. It was your campaign who

campaigned for Parliamentary sovereignty in the EU referendum and

it was our amendment in the House of Lords and our attempt in the House

of Commons to make sure the final vote on the deal for Brexit is in

parliament. That is something you campaign for. It is not breaking the

will of the people to seek to guarantee the rights of EU citizens

who work in our NHS, in our schools, and contribute to our society. It is

not wrecking the will of the people to try and guarantee their rights

during Brexit and Labour voted against that as well.

I am Richard and I want to take issue with what has been said. The

Lib Dems are acting as if they did during the tuition fee debate, going

into this election saying vote Lib Dem and we will overturn Brexit.

There is no way the Lib Dems are in any capacity to overturn for Brexit.

We don't have a Lib Dem representative at the moment, as you

can see. We will talk to one of them later. Introduce yourself. My name

is Nick, I am a long-standing Labour supporter from Surrey. We live in an

elective democracy... What is your name? Nick. Do you think Labour

should vote for the selection in the Commons? I was going to take issue

with Michael Gove on this point. Do you want your party to vote for a

General Election? Yes I do. Sorry, you are going to take issue with

somebody I am in a position where I feel horribly betrayed by the

political classes around Brexit, not just here but nationally and

internationally. And to say that this election has been cold for

anything other than political expediency is clearly not honest and

that is a betrayal on a level. I understand it and see the necessity

to make the dance. But it feels like it is disingenuous. What would be

wrong with Theresa May being honest and saying, you know what, we have a

good opportunity to increase our majority. Let's do it because it

will help with Brexit negotiations? She has been honest, I've worked

with Theresa May and disagree with her on some issues but she is a

deeply moral and ethical person and will have come to this conclusion

because she thought it was in the national interest to ensure a strong

government has the it requires, as a manifesto endorsed by the public, to

press ahead with her plans. Hello. You made an interesting comment

earlier about democratic energy. That seems to me a bit of political

speak from Yes, Minister. It is not about democratic energy, people are

tired, it is more just an inconvenient truth, a fact of

necessity. We are just fed up with the boundary is always changing, the

goalposts always moving, wonder it is this and the next day it is that.

I understand a week is a long time in politics. I understand that. I

just find it is a bit disingenuous to present it as this amazing

opportunity which everybody is really energised. We are tired but

understand it needs to happen. Let's get it done and see what goes on

from there. Can I pick up on your question about whether or not Labour

should be backing the move to cool a General Election? Don't you think it

would be better for the Labour Party to continue to get itself together?

The last few weeks have seen some decent policy announcements for the

first time that I has a long-term Labour supporter can remember. It

might give you time to get a different leader who does not poll

so terribly with the country as Mr Corbyn currently is. Isn't it your

responsibility to be an effective opposition and oppose the

government? Answer her question. I am answering the question. If we

think this government is doing terrible things, running down the

NHS and cutting school budgets and the economy is not working, we have

a responsibility to scrutinise the government and take our message to

the country and trying to defeat them in a General Election. That his

wife... You could do that in 2020 -- that is why. The Prime Minister has

asked parliament to pass the legislation to allow her to have a

General Election. You don't have to agree with the Prime Minister. Given

that we think this government is doing dreadful things to many of the

communities that we represent we have a responsibility to try and get

this Conservative government out of power. Governments have done this in

the past. Harold Wilson was elected in 64 and went to the country in

1966. What I think is a problem here is Theresa May, Mike Harold Wilson,

has said for the last six months she would not have a General Election

and now changed her mind -- like Harold Wilson. It begs the question,

can you trust Theresa May's word? I am an entrepreneur and one of the

things about the business of disruption is it annoys a lot of

people and also tends to clean things up. While it may feel painful

for some people who would like to see the Labour Party, as you just

mentioned, have time to get themselves together, ultimately

sometimes pressure causes people to sort themselves out, tidy up their

shop and clean up their house. Perhaps in actual fact this is an

opportunity for the opposition to get together and recognise Jeremy

Corbyn isn't the sort of leader most people would like and perhaps

actually find it is a great thing that we will have a great opposition

because I am not a Labour supporter. It is your chance to dump him after

the selection. Jeremy Corbyn is the leader of the Labour Party and I

want a Labour government, we have 500,000 members in the Labour Party

who have been asked to form a judgment on Jeremy Corbyn two years

in a row and have said they want them to be candidate for Prime

Minister. My message is for anyone watching, join as campaigning in

communities across the country because we really need all of those

500 members knocking on doors and delivering leaflets and taking on

what will be a well-financed Tory campaign. Can I ask generally when

it comes to the manifestos of all the political parties in the next

few weeks, when Theresa May stands up and makes promises about whatever

it may be, reducing immigration to the tens of thousands, for example,

will you believe her? I won't believe any of the parties, to be

honest. Is that fair? It is fair because to be honest there are lots

of times when students have been screwed over, by the Lib Dems in

particular, with the tuition fees, they said they wouldn't and they

did. I know you can say politicians can't always predict the future and

how things will turn out but that was a really big promise they made

and they basically betrayed us on that. Specifically on this question

because she has changed her mind on the General Election. The Tory party

and the Labour Party about so many things they say in their manifesto

they say they will do and they will protect you but they don't. My

parents are letting agents and you said you would protect them when

they voted for you in 2015 and now you have put their livelihood at

risk because you have not done what you said you would and changed your

mind. My name is Sarah and I am a teacher. Hello, Sarah. The current

government never said they would cut ?3 billion from school budgets when

they came to power. I want to know what other party is going to do

about education? We are facing irreparable damage, children are

coming to school and sitting with their coats on to save money on the

heating bills because schools don't have enough money. Headteachers are

beside themselves and parents are beside themselves. I do recognise

him. I think this will be a referendum on education and funding

it properly and also on the NHS, it is a chance to save the NHS and save

education. Would you like to respond? Absolutely and I do not

underestimate for a moment how challenging it is in some particular

schools and for some particular heads and teachers because money is

tight and has been in the past but public services everywhere are

facing that as a result of what happened with the financial crash in

2008 and the consequences. One of the things I have argued for

consistently is to make sure we concentrate education funding on the

very poorest. With the help of the Liberal Democrats to be fair we

introduced a Pupil Premium, ?2.5 billion additional cash to help the

poorest children do well. One of the things about education is that, yes,

there are going to be challenges in funding terms but it is also the

case thanks to people like you that our education system is better than

ever before, there are more children in good and outstanding schools than

ever before, 1.8 million extra children in those good and

outstanding schools as a result, not so much of the changes that

ministers like me have made, but as a result of the fact we have the

best generation of teachers ever in our schools. The truth is that

teacher retention, the number of people who stay in the classroom, is

the same as it has been over the course of the last ten years and we

are recruiting loss of talented people. On the Pupil Premium you

will know that certain heads are using the Pupil Premium to plug

funding gaps because they are short of money. I absolutely get the fact

that we do need to listen to those on the front line about the funding

situation and Justine Greening, the Education Secretary, is thinking

hard about how to make sure we get the right deal. The one thing I

would say about education is we have come on leaps and bounds over the

course of the last ten years, particularly but not exclusively in

London. There is more to do in some communities where the gap between

rich and poor is too great. One of the things all us can agree on is

whether it was under Labour or my colleague who is a Liberal Democrat,

or Justine Greening now, there has been consensus about some of the

things needed to change in education and the good thing is we have good

teachers making a difference. Your old friend David Cameron made

various promises in the last manifesto. What are his promises

from 2015 would you like to dump? I don't think I would dump any of

them. We need more detail on what we can do now we have left the European

Union. Triple lock on the pensions? You wouldn't get rid of that? I

personally wouldn't but I'm not responsible for welfare policy.

Personally I wouldn't but I am prepared to listen to any argument.

What we should do is concentrate on policies to make sure we extend

homeownership and house-building because we need more social housing

for rent, we should do more to improve technical education, that

has been one area, on my time as Education Secretary, we should have

done more. We need to have a country that works for everyone meaning

people who have been locked out of the academic opportunity and out of

the housing market need to have those opportunities and that is what

I have the manifesto will concentrate on. Final four from

Jonathan Ashworth for the Labour Party? This election will be about

the future of the NHS and primary schools, as the teacher outlined

eloquently, and the feature of the economy, not just Brexit. OK, and

Theresa May has said it is not just going to be about Brexit as well. We

have had eloquently conservative spokespeople on the media such as

Michael saying it is all about Brexit! Thank you, gentlemen, thank

you for the voters participation. Can I speak to Norman over here. You

are still attached to a microphone so don't wander off yet. Norman,

what will happen in the Commons today? Today we get the vote on

whether there should be an election. There will be an election because

Labour have agreed to vote for it, the Liberal Democrats will vote for

it and the SNP will abstain. The brutal truth is that they dare not

vote against it because if they did vote against it it would look like

they are frightened, they didn't want to give the electorate a choice

and it would just seem incomprehensible when you have both

Labour and the Liberal Democrats passionately opposed to what Theresa

May is trying to do to turn up the prospect of a General Election.

While there are plenty of Labour MPs looking over the cliff and thinking

oh my God, they cannot run away from this. They know they have to go for

the election and they will be an overwhelming vote to have the June

the 8th election. What kind of campaign do you think this will be?

I'm afraid I think it will be a Brexit campaign. I think that's

partly to do with the fact Mrs May wanted to be a Brexit campaign and

partly because she wants to be the Brexit candidate. But if we are

honest Brexit is bigger than everything, it is the biggest

gargantuan generational decision any of us will take in our life and it

shapes absolutely everything. The chips potentially how much money we

have, what sort of society we are going to be, it is colossal. Of

course there are very important fundamental issues about the future

of social care, the NHS, public services, massive, massive issues.

But I just think they are sort of encompassed by the enormity of

Brexit and the timescale too. The fact that we know we are going to

leave in a couple of years' time. That focuses everything massively. I

think the real difficulty for the other parties is how they break out

of the Brexit stranglehold. How do they get a hearing for some of their

policies which do seem popular. Some of the policies Jeremy Corbyn has

been articulating in recent weeks about free school meals, using VAT

from private schools etc. Those seem genuinely popular. Whether he will

get a hearing for them or whether he will be crowded out by the enormity

and noise of the Brexit debate is the real danger for them, I suspect.

Thank you, Norman, thank you for coming on the programme. What is the

number one issue for you as a group of voters, hopefully vaguely

representative of the UK, although far too many of you are excited

about having a General Election in six weeks' time for my liking. What

is the main issue for you? Brexit. Brexit. The NHS. Brexit. Brexit.

Tell me why you think Brexit is the issue when we had a referendum on

Brexit last year when the majority said let's leave.

'S I think Brexit can be slightly overdone, you get too involved in

it, people might think what is the point of having it, getting worked

up, do you understand what I mean? There are so much publicity about it

and so much of the papers, people might get fed up with it after a

while. Yeah, but it is your view. We will talk more after the news and

sport coming up right now. What time is it? Just look at Big Ben, it is

25 to ten, which means we are slightly late for the news

headlines. Brendan Rogers The Prime Minister has denied claims

of political opportunism and insisted that it's

in the national interest to hold MPs are expected to approve

the Prime Minister's plan Speaking this morning,

Mrs May said going to the country now rather than 2020 meant

the government would be able to focus on Brexit negotiations

for the next couple of few years. when I became Prime Minister last

July, I felt the most important thing was stability for the country.

We've had the referendum which had come out for the resort in terms of

voting to leave the EU which had not been expected. Obviously David

Cameron had resigned, I had taken over as Prime Minister. I felt it

was important to have a period of stability and to ensure that the

British people could have confidence. So getting through that

process of the early work of preparation for and then triggering

Article 50 was very clear. It became clear the extent to which the

opposition parties in Westminster were intent on frustrating the

Brexit process. Brexit is not just about wanting to leave, it is about

getting the right deal for Europe. When we have been told by the

Liberal Democrats that they want to, the SNP, the Scottish Nationalists,

saying they would vote against us, legislating to leave the European

Union, I felt it was important that the country is united. You are

blaming the opposition for your change of mind. You have changed my

Ofcom you are now saying exactly the opposite and it is only a matter of

weeks ago that you said in Scotland now is not the time, you said. All

of our energies should be focused on the European Union. Everything you

just ascribe you knew when you said that. We are now going to be up to

do I believe that this election is strengthen our position in terms of

our negotiations with the European Union. Why? I think people have a

unity of purpose. The public want us to deliver on leaving the European

Union and then want us to build that stronger union, it gives us that

opportunity for stability and certainty.

Labour MPs have been told they will be automatically

re-selected as candidates to fight the general election

Jeremy Corbyn told a meeting of Labour Mps last night

that he didn't under-estimate the challenge ahead,

but welcomed the chance to give British voters an alternative

Prince William has revealed that the shock of his mother's

death is still with him, 20 years after Princess

The Duke of Cambridge made the comments in a BBC documentary

which follows a group of runners with mental health problems

who are training to run the London marathon

I still feel 20 years later, about my mother,

20 years later, people think shock cannot last that long but it does.

It's such an unbelievably big moment in your life

that it never leaves you, you just learn to deal with it.

President Trump has signed an executive order designed to curb

abuses of a long-standing visa programme which he says

will encourage companies to 'buy American and hire American'.

Mr Trump said widespread abuse of the immigration system

was allowing US workers to be replaced by people brought

in from other countries to fill the same job for sometimes less

The former American President, George Bush Senior, is in hospital

His spokesman said he had a mild case of pneumonia but was in "good

The 92-year-old was treated in hospital in January for more

than two weeks for the same illness.

Police have named a man they want to speak to about a suspected acid

Arthur Collins is wanted for questioning after a corrosive liquid

was sprayed during an argument in the early hours

An asteroid as big as the Rock of Gibraltar

Nasa say it will get 'uncomfortably close' to earth,

It's the largest asteroid to come this near us since 2004 -

but it'll still be about a million miles away.

That's a summary of the latest BBC News - more at 10.00.

Leicester's incredible Champions League journey is over after their

quarterfinal defeat against Atletico Madrid last night, trailing 1-0 from

the first leg, sounding as head of the Spaniards in front. Jamie Vardy

-- Saul Niguez headed the Spaniard in front, Jamie Vardy equalised but

they lose 2-1. Back to business as usual for Craig Shakespeare's site.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to take a Champions League tally to

100 goals as holders will Madrid is past ten man Bayern Munich in extra

time for them to reach the semifinals. Elsewhere, Warren

Gatland names is British and Irish Lions squad at midday today.

England's captain Dylan Hartley set to miss out. Welshman Sam Warburton

expected to be confirmed as captain with the shock inclusion said to be

Jamie Roberts. Adam Peaty booked his place at the 2017 world British

championship is with victory at the British Championships in Sheffield.

He took the British 100 metres brushstroke title last night and

gave his medal away to a young fan in the crowd. -- brushstroke.

For a much looking forward to getting in touch. There was likely

to be a general election on the 8th of June, we have the wait for a

vote. According to our political guru, Norman Smith, a majority will

vote to have a general election in a few weeks' time. Damian Green is

here, the Work and Pensions Secretary. You have known Theresa

May the years and years, why is she undermining her reputation as a

woman of her word? She isn't, she said very openly that she changed

her mind, she did not want to have an open early general election but

it became apparent that the negotiations for Brexit required, it

would make Britain's position stronger and would enable us to get

a better deal if she had a new strong mandate to ensure that the

British people had spoken and when we go into those negotiations with

the other European countries, she has the strongest possible mandate

to lead us into those. Why are you assuming you are going to win? I am

not assuming. She would not be calling an election if she thought

she was not going to win. We are confident, but everyone vote counts.

Elections and referendums have thrown up some unexpected results of

the past, so we will be fighting for every vote because every vote will

give a stronger leadership after the election, which will be better for

Britain in those Brexit negotiations. You have known her

since university, I think. Is this the most spectacular U-turn you have

ever seen her mate? It is the biggest decision any Prime Minister

can have to make. She has explained why she reluctantly changed her

mind. But as you terms go, all the time you have known her, as is the

biggest one? This is the biggest decision anyone could ever take. If

you aspire to be Prime Minister, the biggest decision you can take is to

hold a general election. And she could have done that in 2020 as she

said numerous times. It shows she is strong, she is capable of changing

her mind when the facts change. That is what she has done. It shows that

she is a leader who is prepared to take difficult, tough and strong

decisions in the interest of the country because it will clearly be

good for Britain to have a leader with a strong mandate. We have a

small majority in the House of Commons, we hope we have a bigger

majority after the election and that will make us as a country stronger

in those Brexit negotiations. Who should people vote for in this

general election if they voted remain last year? They should vote

Conservative. I voted remain last year. Nobody campaigned harder than

I did. The patriotic duty now is to make sure that the British people

are spoken, we are going to leave the European Union. What really

matters now is that we get the best deal possible so we have the close

partnership with the rest of Europe from the outside that the Prime

Minister has set out in her speeches. Thank you very much for

your time, thank you per waiting, we are grateful for your patience,

Damian Green, the Work and Pensions Secretary. For those who voted

remain, who speaks for you now? The Liberal Democrats. They are the only

party, the only major national party, who is standing up for people

who voted remain, who want to keep us in the single market, who want to

guarantee the rights of EU citizens of this country. While 76% of Labour

MPs voted for a hard Brexit, it is only the Liberal Democrats who are

keeping that vision. No one is representing us, no one is doing us

justice. I agree, there is clear blue water between the Liberal

Democrats and Labour and the Tory party but no one is really

representing us. It is just in a Myers of ambiguity around where we

are, there is no real clarity the difference. We are leaving, so let's

move on and choose people who can make is make good decisions. No

political expedience got us here, it won't carry us out of there and that

is what we are being represented by. Tory politician saying the same old

line about strong leadership and she has changed her mind. That is

political expedience that gave us Brexit in the first place. It is an

absolute shocker. A my as matter of ambiguity, I like it. In the middle

of this miasma of ambiguity, I am going to introduce a more guests.

Lining up very formally. It is not an ID parade. Not guilty! If you

wouldn't mind introducing yourself to our voters. Tom Brake, Liberal

Democrat member of Parliament, the foreign affairs spokesman and Chief

Whip with the Liberal Democrats. Stephen Kane, Labour MP. Caroline

Lucas, co-leader of the green party. Iain Duncan

-- Iain Duncan Smith. Peter Little, deputy leader of Ukip. A slight

technical issue, a lot of you, and one microphone. Please invade each

other's body space if you don't mind. For those who voted remain,

Tom Brake, you are the great white hope in this election. Is this the

start of the Lib Dem comeback? I hope so, the Prime Minister chose

to fight this on the ground the Liberal Democrats want to fight it

on. She will pursue a higher Brexit and we think that is the wrong

approach and that is the key focus of this campaign. However, for us it

will not be the exclusive focus because I think the second issue

people are really worried about at the moment is the future of the

National Health Service and the underfunded, threats to hospitals

and waiting times going up so it's not just going to be about Brexit.

We keep using soft and hard Brexit, what do you mean about hard Brexit?

Hard Brexit would take us out of the Single Market, out of the customs

union and puts at risk millions of jobs in Britain but in the

livelihoods of millions of people at risk. All right, Kinnock, of Labour,

what is one of the reasons Mrs May has been able to cool this election

because of the weakness of your party? This is an exercise in

opportunism. Nothing to do with their weakness of Labour? Ran

merrily because Mrs May couldn't handle the factionalism in her

party, she has 30 or 40 pro Remain Tory MPs she didn't feel she could

keep the discipline on and that is why once again we see a Conservative

leader putting party before country. We saw it with David Cameron who

cold a referendum that he didn't want, took the European Union by

accident, and a total failure of leadership again from the

Conservatives. We were told many times they would not be a snap

election and now because she is opportunity stick she sees an

opportunity to discipline her party -- she is opportunistic. In this

turbulent time after the Brexit referendum. Is Steven connect right

after Dominic in that assessment? I will not agree with Stephen over

that, the reality is it is right to hold this election now. It is about

her own fortunes rather than the future of the country. Hang on,

we're just about to embark on a huge negotiation with the European Union

and a huge bill going through domestically which will be

incredibly complex. It is right for her to ask the country if this is

the leadership you want. You made the decision to lead Dominic Grieve,

who do you want to take you through that process domestic Leander

nationally? It would be Theresa May, the Prime Minister, her job, people

are saying get on with it. Nothing much will happen in the next month

and a half because France is having their election. Not now because we

are having an election! France is having their own election and they

will be no discussions. Terrible language I apologise! There is

always one, I do apologise. Why is it all right for Theresa May to say

in Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland now is not the time for a second

independence referendum but apparently it is the to have a

General Election? We want to get through Brexit and after Brexit they

can discuss whether Scotland stays in the UK in a referendum. The

reason was to concentrate on Brexit negotiations. We will concentrate on

Brexit negotiations. This is the key... Hold on a second, let me have

a chance to speak. The reality for Theresa is she wasn't elected as

Prime Minister. We have had a huge vote over Brexit, the public decided

to leave and it is right, with the accusations thrown at her by the

Liberals and Labour and the Lords said you did have a mandate to push

this through, it is right to have an election to say if you want this

leadership and what I've set out already as my plan and you vote for

that then I will have a strong position when I negotiate with the

European Union and a strong position here to tell the Lords to get on

with it. By the way this hard and soft Brexit is total nonsense. We

are in a negotiation with the European Union and they have made it

clear to us we are not staying in the Single Market so we have to

negotiate a new trade deal. The idea you can certainly say, I tell you

what, we want to stay in the Single Market so we can, they don't want us

to and have already said we weren't so we are not going to do it so

let's grow up on this one. I am hearing some disagreement, are you

being immature on this, Iain Duncan-Smith says grow up. There was

nothing about the Single Market, customs union and environmental

protection in the manifesto. We are coming out of the EU but there is no

clear destination which is the reason why it is right to have an

election. Theresa May might be being opportunistic but the only way to

fight against extreme form of Brexit she is pursuing for which she

doesn't have a mandate and also alternatives for the incredibly

damaging social policies she is pursuing. We will have 5 million

children facing poverty, and food parcels being given out and that is

a shame and DStv right people want to have an alternative. -- it is

right. Peter Whittle, good morning. It is either about Theresa May or

Jeremy Corbyn, not Paul Nuttall of Ukip. I would agree with what has

been said, this has hugely been a cynical way of doing it. It is all

about winning the Tory party first and the interests of the Tory party

over the country. But having said that it is happening so we are

excited to be giving people the chance to vote for us. Who would you

prefer, Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn? I don't play that game at

all. It is not a game, it is either Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn, so

which one? You don't have a preference? You don't mind? Not

given that preference, absolutely not. That is the realistic choice,

it's not about Paul Nuttall of Ukip. What it is about as my party needs

to put the agenda for political action as discussion in this country

and it still is doing that and we are going to be doing that during

this election campaign, talking not just about Brexit and the fact that

for example the Tory government has said virtually nothing about its

plans for migration, one of the biggest reasons people voted to

leave the EU, we had even heard migration levels might go on at

these levels for ten years. In other words there is no assurances on that

forced up we will see what happens in the Conservative manifesto, the

promise to reduce migration down to the tens of thousands. Is this

election about Brexit or a second independence vote for Scotland or

ever issues, all of those? Good points have been made in the sense

that the EU referendum was about David Cameron trying to get the Tory

awkward squad into shape and this General Election about Theresa May

trying to get the Tory awkward squad into shape. Parliamentary scrutiny

is a good thing and people from different political parties can put

in different good ideas. We are about to go through the biggest

upheaval people will ever go through, it will impact the

environment, rights and opportunities for young people and

through that process you should have a strong sense of Parliament to

scrutiny and Theresa May is terrified of that, she won't even

debate with anybody, never mind give anybody that say in Parliament. This

is about a Tory civil war rather than any sense of democratic

process. The SNP did so well in the General Election last time the

Mayfest lead back a bit you would expect opponents to say, support for

a second independence vote is waning. You would be extraordinary

to say winning 95% of the seats is the only way to win a General

Election. Matas see how the Tories get on with that. Wheeze provide

strong opposition and a voice for Scotland in Westminster and we have

provided a strong voice for Scotland and that is what we will campaign

on. -- we provide strong opposition and a voice for Scotland. Thank you

all for joining us. We had a representative from Ukip,

the SNP, the Greens, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems and from

Labour. And what times it now? It is coming up to 9:55am so we will bring

you the latest news and sport at 10am. We have a selection of voters

here, thank you for joining us this morning. We also have, do come in.

What we call pundits. I hope you don't mind me describing is that.

Anushka Asthana, political editor of the Guardian, Jo-Anne Nadler,

political author and chief political correspondent at the Brussels-based

European affairs weekly newspaper Politico. Why has she called the

selection in your view? I think two reasons, first of all there is

hugely dumb are clearly a huge poll lead she can take advantage of and

get the big majority. Why does she want that? She has a lot of

legislation to get through, not just the Great Repeal Bill but a whole

load of other pieces of legislation linked to Brexit, and frankly she

doesn't want to be in a position where she is struggling to get any

of that through and where she has to play games both with the Remainer is

on her backbenchers but also with the hardline Brexiteers. What do you

think? She needs a majority. She has 17, isn't that enough? Not when you

have 60 on the backbenches who are organised on a WhatsApp group

telling each other we need to keep her feet to the fire on Brexit so

she must keep them on side and on the other side she has the

pro-Europeans who are small in number but can still cause damage,

5-10 of those. What is your view? She needs political legitimacy and

accountability and without a mandate from the public it is difficult for

her to argue she has that. She is also Conservative leader who wasn't

voted for by the Conservative Party which is relatively unusual in

modern times. I think she's doing the right thing here. OK, in

Brussels, your newspaper, that's where you report from, is an

increased majority if she gets it going to help her in the Brexit

negotiations? I don't think it will help her with the European partners,

it will help domestic league. In Brussels they are aware of that and

quite happy about it because Theresa May is seen as somebody they can

deal with, they can work with her, they like her, she is seen as a hard

negotiator but a grown-up. They are more concerned about Boris and

Eurosceptics on her right flank. Boris Johnson, the Foreign

Secretary. What sort of campaign will it be? She made clear she

wanted it to be about leadership and that will be about contrast in

herself to Jeremy Corbyn. They will do what they did in 2015 which was

effective, they will say it will be a 1-party Tory government or a

coalition in which Jeremy Corbyn will be propped up by the SNP.

During the 2015 election that message was the single most powerful

message on doorsteps. A lot of that, I am told, they don't want to get

too personal about Jeremy Corbyn but I'm sure they have it in their back

pocket. If Lynton Crosby will be involved again, the arch Tory

strategist, he doesn't know -- he knows how to run a negative

campaign. What kind of campaign do you think it will be? It will be

dominated by Brexit. Will it be down and dirty or will it be a clean

fight? I think Theresa May will hold herself above the fray and want to

be talking about domestic issues as well is about Brexit. She does have

an agenda of her own and we heard a bit about that when she was first

elected but it has somewhat disappeared with all the talk about

Brexit over the last ten months. She will want to keep it very much on

the issues. Whether other people choose to make it about personality

it will be hard to resist that for some of them, I suspect. Is it going

to be a bit of a rerun of the referendum vote last year? There

will be an element of that but like Anushka Asthana said it will be a

2015 rerun but probably on steroids, there is no way this is not getting

down and dirty. They have a list of things Jeremy Corbyn has said over

his 30 years in here from being friends with Hamas to his support

for getting rid of the nuclear deterrent. These will be trotted out

endlessly over the next six weeks. They have employed so Lynton Crosby

who was effective in 2015, less in the London mayoral contest. What

difference will that make? Talking about being above the fray. I will

pause you there because we are going to it out for our viewers on BBC

Two. That is where you will see the World Snooker Championship in a

moment. I apologise for cutting you off mid-flow. If you want to carry

on watching our programme, switch to the BBC News channel where coming up

in the next half an hour we will hear much more from our audience of

voters and from you, wherever you are in the country get in touch, if

you are tweeting news #Victoria live.

cool start to the day, so this poster art, it has

into Friday the weather front starts to work into Scotland, Northern

Ireland, bringing outbreaks of rain, over the hills, introducing cold

air. While you have sunny spells in the South, with that lighter winds

and temperatures may be reaching 17 or 18. The cold front will work

southwards into the weekend and temperatures will drop once again.

More updates later on the BBC News channel but now back to Victoria.

We're at Westminster where MPs are expected to vote this afternoon

to back Theresa May's call for a snap general election in June.

Division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a strong Brexit

and it will risk damage and instability to the country, so we

need a general election, and we need one now.

With us this morning - an audience of 20 or so voters who've

told us exactly what they think of the snap election.

It's just a bit disingenuous to present it as this amazing

opportunity, which everyone is fully energised by. We are tired but we

just understand it needs to happen. Lopes get it done and see what

happens. Pressure causes people to sort themselves out, and tidy up

their shop and clean out their house, so maybe this is an

opportunity for the opposition to get themselves together. No one is

representing us, it is a miasma of ambiguity around it, there is no

real clarity around the difference. Over the next hour -

we'll look in particular at what the eleciton could mean

for Scotland and for Labour - and, as always, really

keen to hear from you - if you're tweeting use

the hashtag VictoriaLIVE We haven't read any of your comments

so far, but I promise we will when I have found my phone!

Let's bring you the latest BBC news with Joanna.

The Prime Minister has denied claims of political opportunism

and insisted that it's in the national interest to hold

MPs are expected to approve the Prime Minister's plan

Speaking this morning, Mrs May said going to the country

Speaking this morning, Mrs May said going to the country now,

rather than in 2020, meant the government would be able

to focus on Brexit negotiations for the next couple of few years.

No politician wants to go into an election just for the sake

I have taken this decision because I genuinely believe

You described me earlier as someone who likes to roll up my sleeves

I do, but I also want to take the right decisions,

and the right decisions for the UK in the long-term.

Labour MPs have been told they will be automatically

re-selected as candidates to fight the general election

Jeremy Corbyn told a meeting of Labour MPs last night

that he didn't under-estimate the challenge ahead,

but welcomed the chance to give British voters an alternative

Prince William has revealed that the shock of his mother's

death is still with him, 20 years after Princess

The Duke of Cambridge made the comments in a BBC documentary

which follows a group of runners with mental health problems

who are training to run the London marathon

I still feel 20 years later, about my mother,

20 years later, people think shock cannot last that long but it does.

It's such an unbelievably big moment in your life

that it never leaves you, you just learn to deal with it.

President Trump has signed an executive order designed to curb

abuses of a long-standing visa programme which he says

will encourage companies to 'buy American and hire American'.

Mr Trump said widespread abuse of the immigration system

was allowing US workers to be replaced by people brought

in from other countries to fill the same job for sometimes less

Police have named a man they want to speak to about a suspected acid

Arthur Collins is wanted for questioning after a corrosive liquid

was sprayed during an argument in the early hours

An asteroid as big as the Rock of Gibraltar

Nasa say it will get 'uncomfortably close' to earth,

It's the largest asteroid to come this near us since 2004 -

but it'll still be about a million miles away.

That's a summary of the latest BBC News - more at 10.00.

Leicester's manager Craig Shakespeare has challenged the club

to reach the Champions League again after their quarterfinal defeat to

Atletico Madrid last night. The Premier League champions were the

last arriving English team in the competition. But it was an uphill

task. Saul Nigez headed the

Spanish side in front. Jamie Vardy equalised

for the Premier League champions It was the Spanish side who

progressed to the semifinals with a 2-1 aggregate win. They are very

disappointed in there but ultimately I have said to them they can be

proud of what they have achieved. As a football club we can be proud of

how we have conducted ourselves and how we have gone about it. But they

should want more of this because ultimately all players want to play

at the highest level, and the Champions League is the highest

level, but we have to get back to winning ways in the Premier League

now. For Craig Shakespeare and Leicester's players, it is back to

business as usual after an amazing European journey that saw them beat

Club Brugge, Porto, FC Copenhagen and Sevilla. We tried our best. We

needed to get three goals and Indian Runner could only get one but a big

effort from the boys and was a good game. We score that one, I had a

feeling that we were going to do it. Maybe a couple of chances after that

going, and I feel like we would have done it. We gave our alter that

game. We have lost the game over two legs but the lads were terrific

tonight and deserved more. We were disappointed to go out of the

competition, it has been a great journey but it is over now and we

have to focus on the league. Warren Gatland names his British

and Irish Lions squad at midday today for this summer's tour

of New Zealand. Welshman Sam Warburton is set to be

confirmed as Lions captain for the second time with Wales

centre Jamie Roberts expected England captain Dylan Hartley

is set to miss out. Welshman Sam Warburton is set to be

confirmed as Lions captain for the second time with Wales

centre Jamie Roberts expected Let's go back to Victoria at

Westminster. Poli good morning, hello, it is

Wednesday morning, we are at Westminster, it is bright and sunny

and hot, in my winter jacket. Last time I was here on college green, we

froze, so we thought we would wrap up today. Obviously we are talking

about a general election, likely to be on the 8th of June. Today MPs in

the Commons will vote on whether they want that general election to

take place. According to our political guru, Norman Smith, the

majority will back the call of Theresa May.

If this election is to be a referendum on Brexit in much

of the UK, then in Scotland it will be dominated by arguments over

whether there should be another referendum on Scottish independence.

You will have heard what Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon claims Theresa May has made a "huge

political miscalculation" in calling a snap election - but is she right,

and what could this election mean for Scotland's future?

We can speak now to Alistair Carmichael,

Liberal Democrat for Orkney and Shetland - the Lib Dems

-- let's speak to Lorna Gordon in Edinburgh. It is interesting you say

most MPs are likely to back that vote today. Not the SNP. The SNP MPs

met last night to discuss their position and they are likely to

abstain, we are told, in the vote today. Remember the SNP are the

dominant force in Scottish politics, they have the rump of the seats with

a won 56 seats in the last general election, all but three of

Scotland's constituencies. Their big challenge this time around is to

repeat that phenomenal success. You can see they are positioning

already, the SNP saying they are the party to stand up for Scotland. Alex

Salmond, their former leader, arguing this is all about opposing

what he calls the hard right agenda of the Conservatives. Yes, they will

argue that a strong showing would reinforce their calls for a second

independence referendum. That referendum also a topic of, session

among the Unionist parties. Theresa May in an article in the Scotsman

this morning explicitly dealing with what she sees as a challenge and

saying this is a chance to stand up for the United Kingdom. Saying it

would send a vote for the Conservatives, a clear message of

opposition to what she calls the SN People's Bank divisive plans for a

second independence vote. It is a general election, some domestic

issues may be in play, maybe a bit about Brexit as well but inevitably

here in Scotland it will all be about the independence issue,

independent union, going forward. Thank you very much. Let me

introduce you to various guests. We can speak now to

Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat for Orkney

and Shetland - the Lib Dems only MP in Scotland -

who was Scotland Secretary That seems an awfully long time ago

now. A lot has happened. I distinctly remember it fondly.

Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South -

Labour's only MP in Scotland - who was shadow Scotland

Hannah Bardell SNP MP for Livingston, who's also the SNP's

And Craig Williams, Conservative MP who sits

Mrs May says now is not the time for a second independence vote, because

as a country we need to concentrate on the Brexit negotiations, so why

is at the time for a general election? She set out very clearly

yesterday about the need for strong leadership for the whole of Britain.

She doesn't need a general election for that? Why not? I agree with the

second in the vote, I agree that we had one, it was a once in a

generation opportunity and that has been an awfully small generation.

But a general election is not a distraction? It will give Theresa

May that strong mandate. As a Welsh MP I believe strongly in that union

and I think that will feature very strongly. Is that logical to you, as

an SNP MP? Absolutely not. We are having this imposed upon us, as we

did with Brexit. Scotland voted to remain overwhelmingly. We have also

said this is not the time for a Scottish independence referendum. We

have said once been over details of Brexit, when people can make a

reasoned and sensible choice, which to be quite frank I cannot at the

moment. Michael Gove was on the programme earlier, you did not have

any clear answers as to why the Prime Minister has changed her mind,

it is blatant opportunism. She has seen a weak Labour Party, seen the

polls, and decided now is the time to go for it. A third of Scotland's

nationalist voters backed leave. What is the SNP's vision Brexit? We

set our vision out very clearly. It was about Scotland having access to

the single market, having that membership, having a very strong

voice in Europe but still remaining in the UK and Theresa May was

unwilling to give that decent consideration. This is a party that

had no plan going into Brexit and it has no plan if there is no deal. She

just seems to change her mind with the weather. How can she be trusted

to lead this country? How can she be trusted? I think she will set out

her stall, she will be trusted because she is going to the country

to say to them, trust me, give us a verdict. She cannot be fairer than

to go to the whole of the United Kingdom to say give me the mandate

to deliver this. That is how she will be trusted. It is an incredible

mood for a Prime Minister with a majority, although a small working

majority, to go to the country and you say it is time for that refresh

mandate. Yes, you believe in my strong leadership for Britain and

come back with that trust. An incredible U-turn. Yes, there is no

way of doubt get, two weeks ago the Prime Minister was very clear that

we were going to try and deliver the 2020, get Brexit delivered, get that

good deal for Britain and now she is very clearly come out, fronted it

herself, and said I have gone walking in Wales, brilliant that is,

taken a sneaky look at the polls, why don't you just be honest about

this! Anyone who knows where she was walking, Snowdonia in Wales, knows

that she will not have been looking at her phone. She is running scared

from the police. You can't be running scared and calling a general

election. From the investigation into 30 members of your parliament.

The Conservatives have always made it clear they will let the legal

side of things take its due cause. Let me bring in Ian Murray and

Alistair Carmichael. Labour in Scotland defending a single

Westminster seat, yours. Yes, but I think what you'll have seen in the

last 24 hours as you have a First Minister in Scotland and a Prime

Minister at UK level whose first priority is to put party politics

above the country. That is all about their ideology of making sure they

put the party first. What is your vision for Brexit? To make sure we

can have close accents. Hannah did not same bishop of the EU, she said

membership close to the single market. We have a First Minister

fighting for independence and a Prime Minister fighting to sort out

her own party while Rome burns. They should both be ashamed of

themselves. We need the country to be sorted out in terms of Brexit. It

should be the number one primary to -- priority including the Prime

Minister. She has gone for a general election that she promised she was

not doing. She was already working on it, she has lied to the British

public. It is a piece of colossal opportunism on the part of Theresa

May. Only Theresa May can answer if it was a lie, I am saying it is

opportunism. I don't think there is anything more that needs to be said

about that. She was telling us for months this was the wrong thing to

do, now it is not just the right thing to do, it is absolutely

essential. But this is all yesterday's story. What we need to

be talking about now is the issues in this election. In Scotland, yes,

the determination of the SNP to break up the UK and have a second

referendum will be at the heart of the debate, let's not get that. --

kid that. Hannah is right in saying it is important that we remain part

of the single market that is the European Union but at the same time

it is so important that we should come out of the single market that

is the United Kingdom. 15% of Scotland's exported goods go to the

single market in the European Union. Over two thirds go to the single

market that is the United Kingdom. OK. Polling suggests, we take for

the caveats about it, and perhaps this general election is an

opportunity for the pollsters to redeem their election a little,

polling suggests a third of British people don't know who Tim Farron is.

Do you want to tell audience? He is the new thing in British politics.

The new thing? He is a remarkably fresh voice, somebody who has

tremendous energy, genuinely committed liberal, and once he has

the exposure that he will get as a leader in a general election

campaign, you will find if you get the pollsters to ask that question

again and it will be a very different story. I think Tim will be

a fantastic advocate for liberal values in this election. Let's talk

to voters, in terms of the fact that this is an opportunity for Nicola

Sturgeon to really ramp up, to make this general election actually about

a referendum on a second independence vote.

I am a strong believer in countries having the right to decide their own

future but the SNP is not Scotland, they had a poll on this before and

poll after poll shows the Scottish people firstly would not vote for

independence and don't actually want a second referendum at this point

and I think it's the wrong thing to be talking about at the moment, we

need to get Brexit sorted out and get a good deal for the country and

then talk about that later down the line if you wanted. My name is Rhys

Roberts and I am an SNP voter and I am Scottish and it's 50-50. There is

a 50-50 split of do we want Scottish independence or not? Do you want a

second vote? I believe there should be a second referendum but we need

to have an understanding of what Brexit is and where the SNP go on

from because there is no understanding and when you have the

Scottish Secretary treating Scotland like a principality rather than a

country that is when you start belittling a nation and sort of

saying you will go with what we say whereas Scotland is a country,

Scotland democratically voted for the SNP, Britain may have

democratically voted for Brexit and we accept that but democratically

Scotland voted for the SNP and the Democratic vote of Scotland should

be listened to. Say that again, sorry. Scotland democratically voted

no to independence and they wanted to remain in the UK. Di Wu just

ignore election results until they give us the result we want? Do you

think a General Election hastens a second independence vote in

Scotland? I think we could see the SNP losing some seats and that will

prove it is not wanted. I think we will have to wait and see what

happens. If you drop back from your 56 out of 59 seats which is what

happened in May 2015, if you drop back from that your opponents will

suggest, look, the evidence shows that support for independence or a

second vote is waning. With respect I think, to the lady, and her point,

it is misguided because we stood in 2016 in the Scottish elections on a

manifesto commitment which said, if there is a material change in

circumstances and Scotland is taken out of the European Union against

its will, which it now is being then there is grounds for a second

referendum. The Scottish Parliament has now voted by a majority to hold

a second referendum. How many mandates do we need? We stood on a

manifesto commitment in the General Election in 2015 to come to

Westminster and stand up for the people of Scotland against the Tory

government and that is the manifesto commitment we will continue to

pursue. This General Election will be about Scotland's voice at

Westminster and standing up against the Tories which Scotland has an

voted for. To be clear about the question of mandates, Hannah and her

colleagues stood on a platform that said there would be a referendum if

there was a material change in circumstances. They lost their

majority in the Scottish Parliament. The Greens who voted for that in the

Scottish Parliament said that they would only support a second

referendum if there was a petition with 1 million signatures on it.

Suddenly that is forgotten about. Let's talk about manifesto

commitments, no tuition fees, S close to the Single Market as we can

get and 50% top rate of tax, ditched in the manifesto. What about

Labour's manifestos? Not ditched from the manifestos. People always

go back to the manifesto when it suits democracy, it only works when

it suits the answer you want. The Scottish people voted no, 85% of

people turned up 55-40 52 years ago and people have voted in this

country in 2015 for the government we have at the moment -- 55-45. It

is damaging my constituents' livelihoods and I will protect them.

Lib Dems did introduce tuition fees when they promised not to. Thank you

for your time. Welcome to the programme.

We're live from Westminster as you can see. We're discussing the fact

this country will have a General Election in a few weeks' time.

Was Theresa May right to call the election now?

Which parties will gain and which will lose out?

He refers to the situation of some workers who might have some job

insecurity and potentially unscrupulous bosses.

When I launched my leadership campaign I said that

Let everybody put forward their proposals for Brexit and their

We want to put a case out there to the

people of Britain of a society that cares for all, an economy that works

for all and a Brexit that works for all.

We lost the election, I believe, because we didn't offer a

I thought for a moment the Prime Minister was

going to say Brexit means Brexit again.

I'm sure she will tell us one day what it actually means.

Do you think it is wrong to demonise immigrants, the young, the poor,

foreigners, Brussels, the English, the Scots? Join us.

This is a big issue. In recent political history. It is clear the

Prime Minister's announcement today is one all about the narrow

interests of her own party, not the interests of the country.

People will learn what Ukip is about. There is only 5000 majority.

The snap General Election is squeeky bum time for some MPs who scrapped

through at the last election in 2015 by just a few votes.

We have gathered three of them here. Amanda Solloway, Conservative MP for

Derby North, who has the second smallest majority of all MPs in

England. The smallest majority in England, actually. 27 was Gower,

Wales. You beat your opponent in second place by 41 votes. Chris

Matheson, Labour MP for the City of Chester who has the most marginal

Labour seat in the whole country with a majority of 93 votes. River

Tucker for Ealing Central and Acton, a majority of 274. Are you cross

with Theresa May for calling a General Election? Not the slightest,

it is a good thing to do. You might be out of a job in a few weeks. I am

philosophical. I have done lots for the constituency. Just think what

you could have done in another few years. I hope to have another five

years. I know we were talking earlier that I've done absolutely

everything. I don't have any staff in London, everything is in the

constituency and I am out there as often as I can, loss of focus on

mental health, education, and I'm standing here now thinking I've done

the very best I can do and I think the country will benefit from having

a General Election, so here we go, the fight is on. Chris Matheson.

Before we talk about your thin majority, with the vote this

afternoon and what are you going to do? I will not vote in favour, it

has nothing to do with squeaky bum time, this is an naked political

opportunity from Theresa May. Only four or five years ago she voted for

the Fixed-term Parliaments Act to embed herself with the Lib Dems in

the coalition government. You will vote against? The first time she

gets she is looking to junket, it's purely about the interests of the

Conservative Party. You will vote against it? I will vote against it

or I will abstain. What is the point in abstaining if you really believe

it? They need two thirds of the majority, you might convince me to

vote against. I'm asking why you are not if you are so opposed which you

clearly are. I am and it is about the naked political interests of the

Conservative Party and they are putting their interests ahead of

those of the country. Are you going to be out of a job in a few weeks'

time? No, because we have a strong campaign in Chester and the people

in Chester know how hard I've worked for them and they know the failings

of the Tories, every school in Chester is looking to cut teachers

and increase class sizes because of the education cuts. We have 80 or 90

people who can't go anywhere from the hospital because the social care

system is collapsing, we have people in Chester, adults with children who

can't get a new home because they can't afford the rent or to buy a

house. The system isn't working for married people, people in Chester

know that and that's why I think I will win. Will you put Jeremy Corbyn

on your election literature? I might well do but I will put the issue is

about school cuts, hospital cuts, the failure of the social care

system, and a lot of my own achievements in the constituency as

well, whether it is delivering broadband, fighting to get better

rail and road connections. I've done a lot in Chester and have lots of

positive things to tell my electors as well. Rupa Huq, majority of 274,

Labour leader for Ealing and Acton Central. Who came second? Nobody

remembers that, do they? You must be worried. If I looked at the majority

of who won last time I wouldn't have bothered standing at all. We won the

seat and London is different, I have the most marginal Labour seat in

London but our trends were up on the mayoral results last year, we are a

massive leak Remain area, I voted against triggering Article 50 and I

will stand on my record. You feel you are in tune with your

constituents? Yes. It has been the greatest honour of my life to

represent the streets where I grew up and I still live in Ealing and I

want to carry on doing what I've been doing. All of the polls

indicate it will be a Conservative majority. In that case we need

people to oppose their disastrous plans for the NHS which has been cut

to ribbons in my area and the hard Brexit which nobody voted for. Byron

Davies has joined us. Good morning. I wasn't expecting you but I'm

delighted to see you. Irene Davies, elected Conservative MP for Gaelic

two years ago, we talked about him a few moments ago -- Byron Davies. He

got 27 more votes than his nearest rival and you have the smallest

majority of any single MP. How worried are you? I am not worried

but also not overconfident. I think on a local basis I have performed

quite well in the last two years. Quite well? There is only 27 votes

in it, you will have to do better, would you? As I said I have

performed quite well and the electorate are happy with what I've

done and we have a strong leader going to the country for unity and

I'm quite confident that I will decrease might majority. Are you

delighted as your conservative colleague is Amanda Solloway with

another small majority, that Theresa May is calling a General Election? I

think we need it and we have a Labour Party saying that perhaps

they would support the agreement at the end with the European Union and

the House of Lords saying they will not agree and the Lib Dems want to

grind parliament to a halt so I think she has to. As you know both

the Commons and Lords voted for the Brexit bill in the end with a really

decent majority is. There is no one standing in the way of Brexit

negotiations, if you are honest. Politics is dynamic and never has

been more dynamic than it is now is, so who knows? You think Piers and

some colleagues in the Commons would go against the will of the people? I

cannot answer for them but there is always the possibility -- piers. To

those voters, and some of them are here today, who are a bit tired of

elections, what do you say to them? This is a great opportunity. I feel

buoyed by this. What would you say to voters who are fatigued

by-elections, Brexit last year, the general election before, and the

Scottish referendum vote? I have been listening to some constituents

on my local radio saying they are looking forward to this as an

opportunity. It will verify the fact the Conservative government is doing

the right thing and we have an opportunity for the whole country to

do that. What do you say are people who are fatigued of elections? Even

more fatigued in Wales, council elections, and assembly election,

European elections, general elections, but this is democracy at

work and I am afraid we have to support this one. Thank you to all

of you. Good luck on all the best. Let's hear from our audience. I am

aware that some will haven't spoken, so please let me in the eye, Claire,

if you want to say something, if you are looking forward to the selection

or if you are a bit fed up with how you have to cast your vote. I find

it profoundly depressing when people say they have voter fatigue. All

around the world there are people in Syria, in Turkey, dying to have the

rights that we do. It makes me so sad, it really does, to hear this

sort of thing. We are so lucky here and I think we are also pretty lucky

with Mrs May, because I think she has absolutely stepped forward. Of

course it is opportunistic, a lot of Labour MPs whingeing about it but

there would have done the same thing. We are in the situation, the

people voted for Brexit, let's get over it, get on with it and give her

a decent period to be able to get in there and negotiate the thing

properly. We have the jobs of the future generations at stake here. We

have to clarify that Europeans who are settled here with their

families, we have to clarify their own position. If Mrs May gets an

increased majority, it will make it easier for her to do the Brexit

negotiations? Inevitably there will be lots of hillocks along the road,

of course, but we are where we are. Please give her a chance to just get

on with it. If I may say Chris Matheson gave us a really great

example of why Semenuk people are disillusioned with voting. He stood

there and gave us -- why so many people are disillusioned. When asked

how he was going to vote, he said he would abstain. That is just

something I find very unpalatable. That is not leadership, someone

standing here and the something, and then saying he will abstain. At

least than up for what you believe in. It is more than just taking

advantage of rights that we have treating them as unimportant. In the

kind of political climate we are in, a number of positions were not

clarified in the first place. You don't want to have election upon

election because it becomes meaningless, that is why you have

term times and a space between elections. That is incredibly

important now to clarify what every consequence means. What is Brexit?

It is not just leaving the European Union, this is the effect it will

have on local services, on immigration, make that clear and let

people make the decisions. Did we not have those arguments a year ago?

Now, because we don't go out Brexit now and we it was not a depth

argument, it was very partisan. Two factions against each other and it

didn't work. Very partisan, the Brexit referendum, it is going to be

partisan in the next few weeks. Yes, because Brexit is such a bind

reissue and one of those issues that goes beyond politics, it crosses all

parties and is almost more about identity than politics. It is a gut,

visceral issue that people feel extraordinarily passionate about and

I don't think that will go away. It will always be one of those defining

issues was that the other thing that strikes me is we are moving into a

different era, politically, where the old tribal blocks, they have

been breaking down for a long time but they are really breaking down

now, and part of it is you see it with Donald Trump in America, people

are voting by different dynamics and I think a lot of it is to do with a

sense of place, a sense of culture, history, who we are. So you mean we

are now more likely to be remain or leave than Labour, Tory, Lib Dem,

SNP Vostok absolutely. The other thing that has totally changed

everything is we live in an age where social media totally changed

the terms of political debate. Without social mediators

questionable whether Jeremy Corbyn ever would have become leader,

because let's be honest, he had most of the mainstream newspapers hitting

him every day and yet he still won quite comfortable. I think social

media has changed a lot of the way the dialogue of politics and the way

people converse. You can say there are good things and bad things about

it, there is fake news, but then it is democratic and empowering people.

All of that is fundamentally changing politics, so where we are

is a much more volatile, uncertain, unpredictable sort of politics, so

for everyone kind of thinking Labour has no chance in this election, I

would just suggest let's be a little bit cautious about this, because

people like me have been getting it wrong time and time again, got it

wrong with David Cameron getting the majority, the Brexit referendum,

Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May, we really have to go into this with

some humility. We live in extraordinary uncertain but quite

exciting times. Thank you, Norman. See you soon. Let's bring you the

latest news. The Prime Minister has denied claims

of political opportunism and insisted that it's

in the national interest to hold MPs are expected to approve

the Prime Minister's plan Labour MPs have been told

they will be automatically re-selected as candidates to fight

the general election Jeremy Corbyn told a meeting

of Labour MPs last night that he didn't under-estimate

the challenge ahead, but welcomed the chance to give

British voters an alternative Prince William has revealed

that the shock of his mother's death is still with him, 20 years

after Princess Diana was killed. The Duke of Cambridge made

the comments in a BBC documentary which follows a group of runners

with mental health problems who are training to run

the London marathon. Police have named a man they want

to speak to about a suspected acid Arthur Collins is wanted for

questioning after a corrosive liquid was sprayed during an argument

in the early hours That is a summary of the latest

news. Now some sport. Wales flanker Sam Warburton will captain the fish

and Irish Lions this summer in their tour. He is only the second player

after Martin Johnson to captain the Lions and two tours. Head coach

Warren Gatland will announce that full squad at midday today.

Leicester's incredible Champions League journey is over after their

quarterfinal defeat against Atletico Madrid last night. Saul Niguez

headed the Spanish side in front. Jamie Vardy equalised but it was not

enough and it is back to business as usual for Craig Shakespeare Fozz

backside. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick

to take his Champions League tally to 100 goals as holders

Real Madrid eased past 10-man Bayern Munich in extra time

to reach the semi-finals. So with a general election like to

be on the 8th of June, just six or seven weeks away, it is a time for

possibly political comebacks. You will remember Sir Vince Cable,

Liberal Democrat, former Cabinet Mr, who plans to stand again, is that

correct? Yes, all of you see there are the formalities of adoption, but

I would like to throw my hat into the ring. I worry the country is

going in the wrong direction, with Brexit and particularly very hard

version the Prime Minister favours, so I want to win back a seat I held

her 18 years. And Mary Macleod, former Conservative MP, lost your

seat in 2015, and you also fancy a seat I held her 18 years. And Mary

Macleod, former Conservative MP, lost your seat in 2015, and you also

fancier,? Absolutely. It was an honour and privilege being a member

of Parliament for five years the Brentford Isaiah Burse and Chiswick

and I want to continue the work I was doing and try to make --

Isleworth. I will be putting my cell forward for selection. It was only a

couple of years ago that they kicked you both out. What makes you think

you want it back? People want to get rid of the uncertainty that exists

right now. Why if they voted you back in with that means certainty?

Because we have a plan that can deliver real stability to the

country. What we have in Theresa may as a Prime Minister, and hopefully

will she will get that backing to lead the country with strength, we

need someone that can pull all of this together following the Brexit

vote and the referendum, where we can get rid of the uncertainty that

exists and allows Theresa May as Prime Minister to lead with strength

and have the Parliamentary backing to deliver for the country, and we

need that, in terms of the negotiations we are getting into.

Serious times. What are the Lib Dems offering? We have been consistent

and principled on the issue of Europe, the only party that has

been. The reason part -- Theresa May has changed radically, the Labour

Party had been all over the place, we think Britain should be in

Europe, we have opposed the way that Brexit has been handled, so on that

issue very much so. But it won't just be that. In Twickenham, which I

represented, there are other issues bubbling up around cuts in schools,

which go way beyond what is fiscally necessary. Bits of environmental