26/11/2015 BBC News at One

The Prime Minister tells MPs to back airstrikes against Islamic State

militants in Syria, saying Britain cannot shirk its responsibilities

As he set out the case for extending RAF action from Iraq into Syria, Mr

Cameron said Britain had to stand united with other countries.

We should not be content with outsourcing our security to our

allies. If we believe that action can protect us, with our allies we

should be part of that action, not standing aside from it.

With the President of France due to meet his Russian counterpart

in Moscow this afternoon, we'll be assessing the latest

"This is not the end of austerity" - a leading think-tank's verdict

after the Chancellor set out the government's spending plans.

Net migration to the UK reaches a new all-time high of 336,000 people.

And the abandoned baby left in a crib in a New York nativity scene.

Coming up in the sport, the draw for this weekend's Davis Cup final

against Belgium is taking place. Andy Murray will play in the

singles. Good afternoon

and welcome to the BBC News at One. David Cameron has been making

the case to MPs for air strikes against Islamic State militants

in Syria, arguing they would be He denied claims that the UK would

become a bigger target for terror attacks, saying the only way to

react was to "take action now". The Prime Minister's statement comes

just under a fortnight since the terror attacks in Paris,

which killed 130 people. Here's our Political Correspondent,

Robin Brant. The case for war in his right hand,

the Prime Minister left Downing Street this morning determined to

persuade MPs to back air strikes in Syria. Remember, this is his second

time of asking. Two years ago Parliament said no to attacking the

dictator, Bashar al-Assad. Now it is Isis David Cameron wants to target.

In the last 12 months our police and security services have disrupted no

sooner -- the more than seven terror threats. Either one was linked to

Isil or inspired by their propaganda. I am in no doubt it is

in our national interest for action to be taken to stop them.

He went on to explain in seven points the strategy, legality and

complexity of attacking IS in Syria. He said Britain had moral duty to

come to the aid of its allies. He won over some detractors, with

senior Tories changing their minds other Labour figures supported them.

What would it say about our judgment if we failed to take heed of the

appeal from the United Nations? But across the table labour leader who

long campaigned against military action. All that Isis stands for and

those is contrary to what we have stood for over many generations.

There is no doubt it poses a threat to our own people. The question must

now be whether extending the UK bombings in Iraq to Syria is likely

to reduce or increase that threat? What about the unintended

consequences, he asked? What about civilians on the ground? These are

worries that divide the sides amid these proposals the bomb Syria. The

Prime Minister tried to deal with some of these concerns in this

document released this morning. There are those who remain

unconvinced. The Prime Minister has asked us to

consider his plan. We have listened closely. However, key questions

posed by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee remain unanswered. And

unless the Prime Minister answers these questions satisfactorily, the

Scottish National Party will not vote for air strikes in Syria.

One of those key questions is how to win on the ground. The Prime

Minister confirmed UK forces will not be there. Memories of the

massacres in Paris are still very fresh. David Cameron will not go for

a vote in Dili knows he has enough MPs on board. There are plenty yet

to persuade. Part of David Cameron's argument

today was that the UK shouldn't be content to "outsource its security"

to its allies. Jonathan Beale looks now at

the details of his proposed action. RAF Tornado crews are waiting for

the green light to carry out air strikes over Syria. They have been

flying missions for more than a year. But so far they have only been

authorised to fire their weapons in Iraq against Islamic State. But with

Islamic strongholds in Syria, the literary chiefs and ministers have

been arguing it makes no sense to stop bombing at the border. In the

destruction of Isil I do believe you have to use military power. In

amongst that military power, part of it is bombing and I believe the UK

should play its part in that. We are under great threat now. How did we

get here? In 2013, MPs voted against military intervention in Syria. This

photo was about hitting the Assad regime. -- this vote. One year on

the landscape shifted dramatically with the rise of Islamic state. The

UN coalition soon began air strikes. This September Russia started its

bombing campaign in support of President Assad. But it was Paris

that shifted opinion in Europe, with France stepping up his strikes

against IS. The question now, will British intervention make a

difference? Bombing will add nothing militarily, nothing significant.

Even the Government admit it will not be a game changer. But the

proposition is that we indulge in some recreational bombing of Raqqa.

David Cameron says the UK will bring niche capabilities. The RAF is

already providing key intelligence for the coalition. The Brimstone

missile will make a difference, he says, with its precision. But Libya

showed the limits of their power. An air campaign can only set the

conditions for something that has to happen on the ground. In Libya we

learnt if you are going to be discriminating make sure you hit the

targets you are aiming at, it will take time. Although time is short,

we will have to be patient in trying to degrade the IS forces before

somebody takes them on on the ground. That will not be British

boots. And now will there be much extra in the air. The RAF may send a

few more of its ageing Tornado jets but it will still be the same drones

already in the fight. Numbers dwarfed by the US.

Let's speak to our Assistant Political Editor, Norman Smith.

Ministers have made it clear that there won't be a Commons vote if

the government isn't confident of winning - where does the balance of

My sense if there was a vote today David Cameron would win it. Can he

be absolutely sure? No he cannot. That is why in the House of Commons

he went out of his way to adopt a measured, reasoned approach. There

was no bulldog Churchillian rhetoric. He was reaching out to his

opponents, adopting a conciliatory approach. More than that he is

trying to strike a stance 1 million miles from that of Tony Blair and

his highly charged case for war in Iraq. Let's be honest, the shadow of

Iraq hangs over this whole debate. Significantly though Mr Cameron did

win the backing of one of his key critics, the Conservative chairman

of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Crispin Blunt, who last month

produced an influential approach saying, no, we should be cautious

about war. Today he backed Mr Cameron. Even so, the Prime Minister

still faced difficult questions about who is going to fight IS on

the ground. What will happen to President Assad? At the end of the

day whether he wins or not maybe out of his hands. It may depend on what

happens in the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn is clearly against war. Many

in his party back it. This lunchtime the Shadow Cabinet are meeting to

decide what they should do. That may well determine whether or not Mr

Cameron gets parliamentary backing for air strikes.

Norman Smith. As Westminster considers the UK's

role, President Hollande of France is in Moscow

for talks with President Putin this Let's speak to our correspondent

there, Steve Rosenberg. How difficult will it be

for President Hollande and President Putin to reach

agreement on fighting terror? I suppose France and Russia have at

least one thing in common. Both countries have recently been the

victims of terror attacks linked to Islamic State. The Paris attacks and

the Russian passenger jets bombed out of the sky over the Sinai

desert. If you look at the kind of language coming out of Paris and

Moscow in recent days, it is pretty similar. We have heard President

Hollande calling for a grand coalition against terror. We have

heard Russian officials harking back to the Second World War when the

Soviet Union and the West put aside their differences and came together

to defeat Hitler. Officials calling for the same again against Islamic

State. Language is one thing. Political reality is another. The

reality here is that there are many potential stumbling blocks on the

path to forging a like-minded alliance. Both Russia and the West

may call for a war on terror but they disagree on who are the

terrorists. Steve Rosenberg.

The think-tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies,

says the Chancellor George Osborne "got lucky" in the lead-up to

It says a set of forecasting changes on tax receipts had allowed him

a lot of wriggle room to defer next year's cuts to tax credits.

But it says talk of an end of austerity was premature.

Is it some pre-Christmas cheer from the Chancellor? Or is it pain

postponed, or a magic trick that puts the public finances at risk?

George Osborne is being called the lucky Chancellor by some because a

minor turnaround in the national accounts turned up just in time to

save him some of the embarrassment of the U-turn over cutting tax

credits for millions. My central judgment is that Britain needs to

move to that lower welfare, higher wage economy. That's what we are

doing. It is the right thing for our country. We can help families in the

transition to that and use the improvement in the public finances

to do that. What he pointed to in his Autumn Statement was a windfall

from extra tax revenue and lower interest payments of ?27 billion,

which are conveniently appeared. But per year that equates to just over 5

billion. Mostly used up by the annual cost of abandoning his tax

credits cuts. Newspapers pro-trade as a loosening of the squeeze by the

respected Institute for Fiscal Studies say the grip on spending is

still amongst the tightest for decades. Less severe than feared but

an end to austerity is not. We are still seeing some significant

spending cuts across a range of departments. Spending by the

Government as a fraction of national income is falling very quickly. And

even in those departments where it is going a bit, it is still barely

keeping up with the economy. The Chancery Lane -- the Chancellor

needs is pre-festive good fortune to carry on. For people to continue

spending more and for businesses to grow. Because the Osbourne plan

remains a knife edge, dependent on positive economic forecasts which

have to be proved right. So the Chancellor heads into the Christmas

season having waived his wand over the Government's books. But there

are still hostages to fortune. Trainee nurses having to borrow for

their upkeep and a tax grab from business.

Andy, what did the Institute for Fiscal Studies say about the

Spending Review? They say the Chancellor has got lucky, as you

reported. That it is less austere, that the severity of austerity will

not be as bad as predicted in July. What does austerity mean? It simply

means cutting public spending. There will still be some of the deepest

cuts in public spending since the war. About 18%. Some of the luck was

down to the fact there were changes in the forecast to the fact there

were changes in the forecast Dermot tax revenue would be collected. One

thing the Institute for Fiscal Studies is pointing out is that a

little change in the forecast has saved the police and Foreign Office

from being cut. They say it is a bit of an odd situation when you cut --

whether you cut the police or not depending on particular forecasts.

They also say that scrapping cuts to tax credits will not actually cost

the Chancellor any money in the long run because he is still making those

cuts in the tax credits are replaced by Universal Credit, which you will

replace six other benefits, in a couple of years. They say this is a

radical budget, it really is cutting back the welfare spending to one of

its lowest proportions as a share of national income, for 30 years.

Andy Verity. Net migration to the UK has hit

a new all-time high. The difference between the number

of people coming to live in Britain and those emigrating was 336,000

in the 12 months to the end of June - that's 82,000 higher than

the previous year. While claiming success on the

economic front, the Government is finding it harder to deliver on its

pledge to control immigration. It's goal is to bring down net migration,

the difference between the number of people coming into the UK and those

going out, to under 100,000. The figure today shows the trend is

boards and the figures are at a record at 336,000, more than three

times the Government target. The increase has been driven largely by

the arrival of those from other EU countries, with the majority coming

to work. Overseas students, 192,000 came in, have also contributed to

the rising numbers. Our ambition remains, as we said in

our manifesto, to see that net migration returns to those long-term

sustainable levels which we judge in the tens of thousands rather than

the hundreds of thousands. We are clear that there are challenges we

need to address in workgroups, seeing that firms are not relying on

an overseas labour, but also on students.

While the Government cannot control the movement of people from other

European countries, it is putting restrictions on those who come into

the UK from conflict zones like Syria. This family left Jordan last

night bound for Britain. They are part of a scheme to relocate

vulnerable people. But ministers say Britain cannot give a permanent home

to Syrian refugees who arrived -- who arrive in the UK illegally. This

man has been told he has to return to Italy, the European country he

arrived in. TRANSLATION: I do not have any

family there. And in our culture you gather around your family. They

offer you support. If I bring my children, I want them to be around

my family. The government has said it will

accept up to 20,000 Syrian refugees in the next five years. It is taking

only those living in camps bordering Syria, not those part of the

European exodus. Our top story. The Prime Minister

tells MPs to back air strikes against Islamic State militants in

Syria, saying Britain cannot shirk its responsibilities. Coming up,

tight security in Belgium as Great Britain's tennis players bid to win

the Davis Cup. In sport, Captain Owen Morgan says

England will continue to push the boundaries as they play Pakistan in

the first of three Twenty20 matches, hoping to build on their one-day

series win. The lead singer of the Eagles

of Death Metal says he wants to be the first person to play the

Bataclan theatre when it reopens. The concert hall was the site

of the worst massacre in the Paris attacks earlier this month - three

gunmen stormed the building In an interview, the band have

been speaking about what happened. At first I thought it was the

flashing images from the start. cracking up and I realised real

quick it was not. Basically they walked in and started blasting. Pops

went off, people started dropping to the

ground, injuries, death. just huddled. I think he thought I

probably got hit because I went down so quickly and everybody else around

was injured and there was blood all over. Everybody started going up

into this room to escape the gunfire. Naturally, instinctively.

As soon as we get there are few people have been shot. Bleeding. We

started grabbing chairs to barricade the door. The gunfire got closer. It

went on for ten, 15 minutes. It did not stop. Then it would stop and

there was a sense of relief, and it would start up again. Then there was

an explosion. It shook the whole room, probably the whole building.

Of course, we did not know what that was. We thought they were trying to

blow up the venue. After we came back downstairs we went out the side

exit door onto the street. The kids saw us. They were being so helpful.

They were being so great. Come this way. I cannot wait to get back to

Paris. I cannot wait to play. I want to be the first band to play in the

Bataclan when it opens up. Because I was there when it went silent for a

minute. Our friends went there to see rock 'n' roll and died. I want

to go back there and live. The Eagles of Death Metal.

Barclays has been fined ?72 million for failing to carry out proper

checks on very wealthy clients, because it did not want to

The regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, said Barclays arranged

a deal worth nearly ?2 billion in 2011 and 2012, which it kept quiet.

It says the bank didn't follow standard procedures designed

There's no suggestion that a crime was committed.

Talks to try to avert strikes by junior doctors

in England got underway this morning between the British Medical

Association and the government, with the conciliation service, Acas.

The first of three planned walk outs is scheduled for next week.

What chance of averting these strikes?

No news so far from the talks. They are at a secret location. That is

what normally happens when Acas gets involved. They take both parties

away from the media spotlight and let them sit around the table to see

if they can make any progress. There have not been any talks for several

months. This is an attempt to see if they can get the process started

again. The strike call for next Tuesday, the first of three, is

still on. They have been happy to go into talks even with that hanging

over them. It has become a heated dispute. Doctors are angry at the

imposition of a contract which could result in them having to work longer

hours, which are unsafe, and also reductions in their potential

earnings over the next five to ten years. The government says it wants

to reform the contract for junior doctors in England to make it easier

for hospitals to roster more staff on at weekends because of its plan

to try to develop more seven-day services in the NHS. Because the

strike is still on for Tuesday, some hospitals have already started

contacting patients. One large one has cancelled 47 operations for next

Tuesday but will contact patients again if the strike is called off.

The Communist on trial for presiding over a "brutal cult", has accused

what he calls the "British Fascist State" of killing, torturing,

arresting and deporting families, a form of fascism which he said

75-year-old Aravindan Balakrishnan has begun giving evidence

in his trial, accused of rape, indecent assault, false

Tom Symonds is at Southwark crown court.

Tom, what else did he have to say? Aravindan Balakrishnan, who is 75,

described himself as a revolutionary commoners. He said that meant

everything to him. His political beliefs, he said, really dated back

to the years after the Second World War when he lived in Singapore

during the emergency. He said that Britain, and imperialist state, also

responsible for treating people very badly indeed. He said he was a

follower of Chairman Mao, a believer in what he called the cultural

Revolution, which involved changing people's mines. He is accused of

raping two members of the so-called collectively presided over for 40

years in various parts of south London. And today, for the first

time, he gave his defence to those allegations. He said in the case of

one alleged rape, the woman involved never indicated she was unwilling,

had pushed herself onto him, and that she and another woman competed

for his attentions. He is also accused of imprisoning his own

daughter for more than 30 years. And he said that she claimed that she

was only allowed out with another person. He said that was a decision

made by the group. It was the people's thermography because they

believed anything could happen, but they could be beaten up or attacked

if they collect -- left the collective alone. He continues

giving evidence this afternoon. Great Britain's tennis players take

on Belgium tomorrow in a bid to win the Davis Cup

for the first time since 1936. Some British fans have decided

against making the trip to Belgium because of the security situation

in nearby Brussels. Andy Murray says they

must grab their chance. David Ornstein is in Ghent, where

the draw has just taken place. The build-up has been dominated by

the security situation in Brussels and Belgium as a whole. That has not

deterred an estimated 5000 British people travelling here to Ghent. It

is thought around 1300 will be inside this venue behind me, many of

whom will have come from Scotland to cheer on two of their most famous

sons. The Davis Cup final is tennis's

greatest team event. Britain's run to the final has been a family

affair. Andy and Jamie Murray are at the peak of their respective powers,

now they must combine to make history for their country. What

words will you exchange on Thursday night, Friday, head of the Thai, the

crowd is building, your family will be there? It will probably be quite

emotional. For us to be able to be part of that, on the same team, is a

pretty unique thing to do for two brothers to play at the highest

level in sport and represent your country. It is a special thing. They

stress this has been a collective effort. Team-mates and backroom

staff are all playing a part, yet the reality is Britain's hopes of

beating Belgium rest largely with Andy Murray. And that is a burden he

is willing to shoulder. Winning grand slam titles and Olympic gold

as an individual is one thing. But to lift the competition described as

the World Cup of tennis with his brother and as part of a team would

be particularly special. Britain last reached the final in 1978. They

have not won it for 79 years. The current success is all the more

remarkable given that they must dropped into the bottom tier of the

Davis Cup. It means a lot to everybody to be in

this position. 56 years ago we were way, way behind in this

conversation. I think it was the lowest level we had ever been at.

Four or five years later, to be playing and competing in the final,

is a great opportunity for us. And it is an opportunity that comes

around very rarely, which is why for the siblings and the team, but

perhaps more importantly for British tennis, this is one shock -- shot

they will be desperate to make. Britain have handed a debut to

20-year-old Yorkshireman Kyle Edmund. He will open proceedings

against David Goffin. Andy Murray will follow, with the doubles on

Saturday. Britain start as slight favourites but Belgium, who have

never won this conversation, Harvey Holmes side. They have had their

choice of service, clay. Either way history will be made.

Now, he was found lying in a manger in a nativity display in a church.

A newborn baby boy has been called ''a miracle child'' after being

found by a caretaker at a church in the Queens district of New York.

The manger at the centre of a modern-day nativity story. A baby

boy just a few hours old was left swaddled in towels in a New York

church on Monday. CCTV shows a woman police believe to be his mother

buying purple towels from a 99 cents shop around the corner from the

church. The baby was found by the caretaker, who returned from lunch

to hear crying. TRANSLATION: I felt nervous when I

saw him but happy because I saved his life. He called the Rectory

office for help. To I picked up the towel and opened up the towel and

his little face was there. He started to move around. Silly

paramedics arrived on the scene and cleared the little boy healthy. The

people who work at the church are calling it a Christmas miracle.

I was shocked and yet really moved by it. The church is meant to be a

home for those in need. Pope Francis preaches about mercy and this is a

year of mercy. Whatmore merciful way to live than to give a home to

somebody in need? Under New York laws, certain locations like this

church are so-called safe havens, where a baby up to 30 days old can

legally be left. But the child is supposed to be physically handed

over to an appropriate person. In this case the mother has been found

and will not change -- face charges because she acted in the spirit of

the safe haven law. It was scary but in the end it all

adds up being like a little The church hopes the little boy will

be adopted by family from the Paris. In the meantime, they have named him

John after John the Baptist. Hello there. Fairly quiet at the

moment. Until we get involved with that weather front at some point on

Friday. It is not all doom and gloom. Sunshine in the East. A

tempting 15 degrees in Aberdeenshire. On the western side

of Scotland there is more in the way of rain. Some of the roads may be

awash. Through the evening and overnight, the cloud fills in as

frontal systems drift down across the British Isles. Mild in many

areas. This weather front fills in the cloud later. And then

increasingly wet and windy fare for a greater part of Scotland, Northern

Ireland and northern and western parts of England and Wales. Head of

that, enough cloud for the odd trip and drop of rain. Some areas staying

dry. The main event, no doubt about it, is this weather front. For a

time as this passes over, you will know about it. Gusty and squally

winds. Temperatures still in double figures. Not bad for the time of the

year. Once the front has gone through it turns markedly colder to

the point where we will drag some snow showers to low levels in

Scotland, the high ground in Northern Ireland. Five to ten

centimetres of snow, 300 metres, in Scotland. Once that front is a way,

we open up the floodgates. The jet stream, around 200 miles per hour

winds, will rip the system across the Atlantic. A succession of them

coming towards us through the weekend. Notice the number of

isobars. Dry enough to start with. It will not last. Make the most of

it in the eastern side of Britain because it will be a wet and windy

Saturday eventually for all of us. The first part of the recipe for the

weekend. Some rain, some sunny spells. It will be on the cool

side. On Sunday, dry enough for Eastern, central and southern parts.

But my iron is drawn towards more rain getting into the north-western

quarter. -- my eye. Notice the number of isobars. My concern about

Sunday is just how deep and adjacent fat low becomes. It will all end up

being pretty wet and windy. This time tomorrow I think we will be

talking about that extended from across the British Isles.

A reminder of our top story this lunchtime:

The Prime Minister tells MPs to back air strikes against Islamic State

militants in Syria saying that Britain cannot shirk its

responsibilities. Now it's time

for the news where you are.