23/01/2013 BBC News at One

David Cameron says the British people must have their say as he

promises a vote on the country's future in the EU. The Prime

Minister says after renegotiations, there will be a referendum by 2018

and it will be a simple "yes" or "no".

It is time for the British people to have their say. It is time for

us to settle this question about Britain and Europe.

The Labour Leader says Mr Cameron has been dragged into pledging a

referendum in the interests of his party, not in the interests of the

country. He is running scared of UKIP. He has given in to his party

and he can't deliver for Britain. The jobless total falls to its

lowest level for 18 months. The number of people in work has

reached another record high. A shake-up of A-level exams in

England. Students will only be tefsed at the end of their --

tested at the end of their two-year course.

With parts of Britain still in the grip of snow, communities are urged

to keep an eye on the most vulnerable. Without the councillor,

and friends, and the church, and further afield, friends, I couldn't

cope. Later: Why the Metropolitan Police

has the worst victim satisfaction rating of any force in the country.

Details published of the final moments before a helicopter crashed

Good afternoon. Welcome to the BBC News at One. David Cameron says the

British people must have their say on Europe as he pledged an in-out

referendum if the Conservatives win the election. The Prime Minister

says he wants to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU

before a vote. The British people he said would then face a very

simple choice, either to accept the result of the talks, or to leave

the EU altogether. Critics say he has given in to Euro-sceptic views

within his own party. Labour accuse him of putting party interest above

the national interest. This report contains flash photography.

The event they had all been waiting for, the long delayed, much-hyped

speech setting out David Cameron's approach to Europe. He said he

wanted an EU that was more competitive, flexible, democratic.

He would negotiate a new loogser relationship with it and put it --

looser relationship with it and put it to the British people. The next

Conservative manifesto will ask for a mandate from the British people

for a Conservative Government to negotiate a new settlement with our

European partners in the next Parliament. It will be a

relationship with the single market at its heart. When we have

negotiated that new settlement, we will give the British people a

referendum with a very simple in or out choice to stay in the European

Union on these new terms, or to come out altogether. It will be an

in-out referendum. The Prime Minister said his was a positive

vision for Europe. He wants Britain to stay in the EU. But what if he

fails in his mission to reclaim powers from Brussels and get that

new settlement? This debate is happening now. This change in

Europe is happening now. The question is are politicians in

Britain going to stick their heads in the sand and let this debate

happen? Or will we lead it, shape it and win for Britain in our

national interest? What I have set out today is a programme to ensure

Britain's national interest. David Cameron's strategy depends on him

winning the next election and getting powers back from the EU.

Neither will be easy. He will be hoping his promise to give the

people their say will rally support within his party and from the

public. Mr Cameron promised a referendum within the first half of

the next Parliament to give time for new arrangements with Europe to

be established. At the moment, he's also hampered by opposition from

his coalition partners. My view is that years and years of uncertainty,

because of a protracted ill-defined renegotiation of our place in

Europe, is not in the national interest because it hits growth and

jobs. As the Prime Minister arrived in the Commons, it was clear he had

won the support of his own party, and forced a hardening of Labour's

stance. We don't want an in-out referendum. He will take a huge

gamble with our economy. He's running scared of UKIP. He's given

in to his party and he can't deliver for Britain. Mr Cameron has

for now got the Euro-sceptics behind him. I think that you will

see the Conservative Party rallying behind the Prime Minister today and

from today onwards. I think that he has said what the vast majority of

Conservatives have wanted to hear for some considerable time.

entire nature of the EU debate has fundamentally changed. The genie is

out of the bottle. To say we shouldn't be part of the EU is now

a mainstream debate. David Cameron knows the real struggle begins now,

to get a new deal in Europe and convince the British people they

are better off in than out. Let's get more from Ross Hawkins.

What happens now? When does this renegotiation begin? It is a key

question. This is a clearer commitment than many Euro-sceptics

feared to an in-out negotiation. What we don't know is what they

might involve and neither does Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat Leader

and Deputy Prime Minister, and that matters because if David Cameron's

plans go further than the Lib Dems are comfortable with, the whole

business of renegotiating might have to wait un till a general

election, if the Prime Minister were to win another term. There is

also the question about what if the negotiations fail? The Government

says that is defeatist talk. It is not clear that if David Cameron

doesn't get what he wants from the EU, whether he would definitely

campaign for a "yes" vote. And a clear view on where Labour are on

this? Some clarity, too, at Prime Minister's Questions from Labour.

They oppose the idea of a referendum. In doing that, they

open themselves up to the charge from their opponents they don't

trust the British people. Keith Vaz, the senior Labour MP, who has been

in favour of a referendum, he reiterated that view to the BBC.

Labour says the cost of economic uncertainty is simply not worth it

and that means the view of business people is going to be vital and

ring loud and I would suggest if you are the sort of person who is

investing or exporting or making jobs, you should stand by your

phone because a politician is about to phone you up and ask you for

your support! David Cameron's promise of a

referendum has been criticised by top European figures. The French

Foreign Minister said it's dangerous to have "a Europe a la

carte" while Germany's Foreign Minister said cherry-picking

shouldn't be an option from Britain. Matthew Price is in Brussels.

Good afternoon. The key message that made it through on this side

of the Channel is that David Cameron wants Britain to stay in

the EU. If he wins the next election, he will be pressing to

renegotiate the terms of Britain's membership. The gamble for David

Cameron is that Europe's politicians will want to keep

Britain in the club at all costs and therefore will renegotiate. But

from what we have heard today from several key players, they won't.

They beamed him live into the European Parliament. Watched by

British Conservative parliamentarians and others

affiliated to them in Europe. Among them, this politician. It was

really a breakthrough speech, a remarkable speech, which sets up a

new vision of European Union for the future. Outside, that vision of

a more flexible EU, with less rigid rules for all, got more of a frosty

reception from one senior and well- respected figure here. I don't

think it is possible what he is asking for, to have an individual

renegotiation of the British membership. On top of that, it was

full of inconsistencies. Brussels is confused, often frustrated by

Britain. Margaret Thatcher was a thorn in the side of officials here.

Tony Blair pro-European. When David Cameron vetoed a European pact over

a year ago, other leaders were angered. Today, he did try to

repair some of the damage. Parts of this speech were very pro-European,

with David Cameron talking about Britain remaining at the heart of

the European Union. But when he talks about reforming the EU,

changing the way it functions, well many here in Brussels and beyond

simply say that is unacceptable. So, this from the French Foreign

Minister. TRANSLATION: You can't do Europe a

la carte. Imagine Europe as a football club and you join. Once

you are in, you can't say, "Let's play rugby." And this from his

German counterpart. TRANSLATION: Not all and everything

must be decided in Brussels and by Brussels. We do differentiate, but

cherry-picking is not an option. Those reactions matter. They are

telling David Cameron he can't change the rules. Britain versus

Brussels could get very nasty. A couple more quick reactions: The

European Commission has said it welcomes David Cameron's

contribution to the debate and the fact that he says he wants to see

Britain stay in the EU. A second reaction from the French people, in

a centre-right newspaper. They asked their readers, "Would you

like Britain to leave the EU?" 70% said "oui". You can find much more

background, comment and analysis of that speech on bbc.co.uk/news.

Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level for 18 months. The

UK's jobless total went down by 37,000 between September and

November to just under 2.5 million. The restaurant chain McDonald's is

to create 2,500 jobs. It's good news from the workplace,

more jobs have been created, the number out of work has fallen again

and what's more, the total claiming Jobseekers' Allowance is also lower.

And there was positive news too from one major employer, McDonald's.

It announced today that 2,500 new jobs will be created, the company

said it was committed to helping young people into work. For those

who don't yet have anything to celebrate, Reading College is

offering a helping hand with a number of initiatives to help the

unemployed find jobs. The aim here is to provide education and

training to help people get into work. And also to match them up

with vacancies. There are some advertised right here in the

college. Thanks to training here, Wayne has got all the

qualifications he needs to apply for jobs in the security industry.

It's a ray of hope after two years on unemployment benefit. I have

always wanted to work. And seeing some people don't work at all

living on benefits, they go downhill. I don't want to let

myself go to that level. I want to get a job and find my own two feet.

And Wayne has found his feet! We heard this morning he's landed a

full-time job starting next month. Today's figures show that total

employment was up more than 550,000 over 12 months.

The number of long-term unemployed out of work more than a year was

down 5,000. But youth unemployment was up 1,000 over the three months

to November. Craig is one of those young people. He's yet to land his

first job despite applying for scores of positions. You can get a

bit depressed. It feels like you are never going to achieve your

goal of getting a job and stuff. It is hard, very hard. Ministers

acknowledge there were still challenges getting people into work

while still highlighting the positives. Unemployment is lower

than it was in May 2010. We have record numbers of people in work.

So these are good figures. Labour said the figures showed no

recovery and instead very shaky foundations, with news today of

nearly 1,000 job cuts at Lloyds Banking Group, there was a reminder

that there may be uncertain times ahead.

The Education Secretary wants A- levels in England to be returned to

end of course exams and separated from AS-levels. Michael Gove says

AS-levels will remain but they will be stand-alone qualifications which

won't count towards A-level grades as they do now.

It's back to the future for A- levels. From 2015, unit also be

scrapped and as in the past, sixth formers will take exams only at the

end of the two-year course. AS- levels will no longer count towards

the final grade. What we wanted to do then was essentially try to

ensure that A-levels, which are not exclusively preparation for

university education, gave people a better preparation for universities.

The Government says pupils spend too much time taking bite-sized

exams and too little time studying Michael Gove says this will help

promote deeper learning and better understanding. Many question his

methods. At this school, the head of 6th form welcomes the idea of

deeper study but says scrapping coursework is a bad idea.

Coursework prepare students for university studying, because most

do not require coursework. In the world of work, you do not take

exams, you work in a coursework fashion. How would today's sixth-

formers cope with the changes? would deter students from going to

6th form. There is lots of pressure. I would not be able to handle that

build up of knowing that my final examination, my last chance to

shine was that all. Universities will have a new role overseeing A-

levels. These changes are controversial, but this looks set

to bite the dust. For many people in the UK, the wetter areas --

weather is getting better, with less disruption. The west and

south-west of England are still badly affected, with several people

stranded in their cars and needing You can see how much know we've had

here from the amount they cleared out of the doorway of these auction

rooms. This place is open for business, but not surprisingly,

very few people are driving across the countryside to get here. We had

about one foot of snow overnight, as well as wind and drifting, and

we had all kinds of problems. Stuck overnight in Somerset, the A 39

tells the story. We have seen dozens of abandoned vehicles

waiting for their owners to return. This is why. Last night on this

high ground, there was more than six inches of snow in just a few

hours. It fell so thick and fast but the roads became impassable

quickly. These men return to their vehicles this lunchtime after

spending the night on the floor or a few miles away. They were halfway

through moving house, but needed to leave their how buyers -- need to

leave their van here. All the gritters were going the other way,

-- it was quite slippery. Yes, it was awful. We got here, the cars

had stopped, we were stuck here for 45 minutes and decided it would be

easier to walk. Now you can go home. Up here, there is no sign of it

melting. The hills are covered and look like they will be for some

time. Whilst others enjoy another day off school or work, the farmers

are doing overtime, feeding cattle who cannot see any grass. Normax

snowploughs will be coming here. -- no snowploughs. It was less than a

month ago that we were reporting about flooding before Christmas.

People are worried that when it melts, the water could go somewhere

else next. For the most vulnerable, just getting about in this weather

is bad enough. We report on how older people are coping in South

Wales. Cutting their way through to help those most in need. This team

of council workers have spent the week trying to reach elderly and

vulnerable people with no way out of their homes. 82-year-old Mary

Morris has been cut off by this know several times. Her son

suffered a heart attack on Friday as he tried to shovel snow. Without

their support, they would be stranded. Without the councillor

and friends, and the church, further afield, I could not cope.

The team have been on a 24 hour call-out for almost a week, and

have always received a warm welcome. They have been quite gracious when

they see people turning up. They are thankful they get medication.

It is not just these teams that I wrote. There are also volunteers

out on foot battling these conditions to offer a helping hand.

Charities have been walking to make house calls. They are insuring

nobody has to tough out the winter The top story this lunchtime: David

Cameron promises afford on Britain's feature in the European

Union, with a referendum by 2018. Labour accused him of acting in the

interests of his party and not the country. Coming up, a great night

for Bradford City. The bantams punch above their weight with a

trip to Wembley. Later, the protesters battling to save the

adventure playground in Battersea Park, and learning lessons from the

London bombings, the researchers are developing last resilient train

Israel's voters have delivered a blow to their prime minister

Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party. He is trying to form a

coalition with a new centre party which wants a greater push on a

peace deal with the Palestinians. This report contains flash

photography. It may have looked like a victory for Binyamin

Netanyahu, but it did not feel like that. After weeks in which the

polls suggested an easy win, support for Likud-Beiteinu alliance

dwindled, and he now faces a struggle to form a coalition

government. He acknowledged the voters were looking for something

I believe the result of the election creates an opportunity for

change, that the citizens of Israel yearn for and that will serve all

the people of Israel. He may need to look first to this man to start

building a coalition. He was the big surprise, a former television

news anchor, and a political newcomer. His campaign was based

around social issues and the economy and it left his party as

the second biggest in Israel. He told his jubilant supporters he was

excited and he would not forget Us software millionaire whose party

is to the right of Binyamin Netanyahu has not hit the heights

his supporters were hoping for. He will also be in the next to get a

place in the coalition. The Israeli parliament has 120 seats, and there

could be weeks of political horse- trading while the parties try to

come up with the magic number of 61 needed to form a government.

Binyamin Netanyahu is still the person best placed to be able to do

that. The man whose campaign slogan was strong leader, strong Israel,

has emerged weakened. The choices made in the coming weeks will

determine the direction Israel takes in an ever volatile and

More than 100 aid organisations are launching a campaign against hunger

in the developing world today. It is the biggest joint venture since

The organisations wanting their campaign today say there are ways

to change a world in which one in eight people go to bed hungry every

night. They what measures to stop farm land being sold off in the

developing world only to be unused. Hunger goes beyond personal tragedy.

Mann Irishman will hit production at a cost of �78 billion. -- MA

nourishment. They want to ensure rich governments keep their aid

rich governments keep their aid promises, cut down on tax loopholes,

and ensure or openness so that people in developing countries can

hold them to account. The campaign wants the profile of Make Poverty

History, even though it did not achieve all its aims. We did not

Make Poverty History in 2005, but we lifted thousands forward. We

help people. The Achilles heel of progress is hunger, and now we have

a chance in our generation, we Some of the solutions are not

expensive. Much of the food in developing countries goes to waste,

so improving storage and access to markets would make a big difference.

One part of the campaign that might make headway is the call for global

companies to pay tax in the developing world, coinciding with

growing pressure from governments in the West for multinationals to

pay fair taxes. During global austerity, a hunger campaign may

have a hard job persuading politicians and public to increase

Andy Murray is through to the semi- finals of the Australian Open,

beating the Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in straight sets. Murray has not

dropped a set, and will play Roger Federer on Friday. Up till now,

Milburn has seen Andy Murray at his most masterful. Two tall men in

white caps, there was one easy way to tell them apart, Andy Murray was

the one getting the ball back, every time from everywhere. Having

set up the point, he pounces. Classic stuff. Jeremy Chardy has a

big reach, but he can only stretch so far. Having done enough to take

the first set, he moved up a gear in the second, determined not to

even sacrifice a point. He won nine games in a row. Even when his

opponent a precious opportunity he blew it. The Frenchman had beaten

some good players to get to the final, but he ran into Andy Murray

in his ruthless Maude, where he will run to make almost any point.

The match was done under two hours. Andy Murray is now meeting his own

high standards. I wanted to see how I would respond to a tough test,

but I started well and did a good job throughout against a difficult

man to play against. I thought I did a good job. Next, Andy Murray

will play Roger Federer, who had to fight his way past Jo-Wilfried

Tsonga. It took him five sets under the floodlights. Roger Federer has

been spared the daytime matches, but was made to sweat here. Andy

Murray may have noticed that. News of an astonishing giant-killing in

the League Cup. Bradford City have become the first team from the 4th

Tia to reach a major final. Last night, they knocked out Aston Villa.

They will play either Swansea or Chelsea next month. The received

wisdom in football is that semi- final victories are not worth

getting excited about. The big game is still to come. Try telling that

to Bradford City. Over two legs, they headed their way past Aston

Villa. No other 4th year team has managed such a feat. This band had

printed up scarves before kick-off. -- is an attic. I was pacing like a

lion, watching it. Very nervous. The League Cup final, it is

genuinely history in the making. Not because we are a leak to Cup --

League Two team, but because it is Bradford City. It was more than 50

years ago that a team from the Fourth Division made it to a cup

final. Rochdale lost against Norwich. Over the years, as the

chasm has widened between the top and bottom, the prospect of a

repeat appeared all more distant. So much a football is drenched in a

sort of stale hysteria, but this has been an achievement of real

wonder. Under freezing grey skies, Bradford City has given sports

lovers a story that will warm them We could all do with a bit of that

warmth. Details of the weather. It is one of those afternoons way you

would be warmer if you climb into your fridge. Temperatures are

struggling to get above freezing. We have snow on the ground, as much

as 30 centimetres in Gloucestershire. That is a

roundabout one foot of snow. We have more snow on the way this

afternoon. I want to focus on the south-west of England, because this

is where we see the snowiest whether as we head through this

afternoon. Showers have been coming in from the English Channel. Just

inland, these showers are falling as snow. We will see further

accumulations of snow. Several centimetres will mean it is tricky

to travel. For Northern Ireland, some cloudy skies, but further west

there will be a bit of brightness. Some sunshine breaking through the

clouds in the north-west of Scotland, whereas further east it

stays resolutely grey and cold. Further wintery showers running

down the coast, not amounting to a great deal. Some snow flurries

possible across south-east England. We had one of these outside the

BBC's Television Centre. The heavier snow is across south-west

England. Some bright spells for a time working across Cornwall.

Overnight, that temperatures will fall away quickly, and it will be

cold. Widespread frost will develop. The clouds will continue to lower

down on to the tops of the hills, so expect things to turn pretty

so expect things to turn pretty misty. Thursday should be quieter,

lots of cloud around in southern areas, but prospect of that

breaking across the north-west of England into the North West of

Scotland, allowing some glimpses of sunshine. That will not do a great

deal for the temperatures, we will be struggling. Temperatures will

probably stay below freezing in the countryside. Next week we will see

a battle ground across the British Isles. This weather system will try

to move in off the Atlantic. We will see a spell of snow moving

across the country on Friday. As milder air comes in we will see

that turn into rain for a time. Not before it has given us some more

snowfall. The further north and east you are, this know where the

weather will be. There could be five centimetres. Winter is still