17/05/2017 BBC News at Six

The Liberal Democrats publish their manifesto and pledge

a second referendum on a Brexit deal.

Party leader Tim Farron says Brexit represents a once in a generation

We don't just have to accept what ever deal we get back

from the Brexit negotiations, but the British people - you -

The Lib Dems are making a pitch for younger voters -

we're in Cambridge to hear about their hopes and needs.

I think there is many things that need to be changed such as tuition

fee, health care, NHS, it needs to be different.

A record number of people in work - but new figures show a squeeze

Donald Trump is accused of trying to stop an FBI investigation

into links between his team and Russia.

The children left at the mercy of smugglers and traffickers -

And the makers of Kit Kat lose their bid to trademark

And coming up in Sportsday later in the hour, on BBC News.

England cricket could be back on free to air television,

as the ECB offer up a new rights package to broadacsters.

Good evening, and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

The Liberal Democrat election manifesto is out today,

and at the heart of it is a pledge to offer another referendum

According to party leader Tim Farron, it would give

The Lib Dems are also offering several new policies

aimed at young people, including dropping the voting age to

More on that in a moment, but first, here's our political

He says his policies offer young people a brighter future.

And Tim Farron has put Brexit at the heart of his campaign.

The Lib Dems hope the promise of a referendum on any Brexit deal

the government negotiates will persuade Remain voters

But the polls suggest the message isn't having much impact.

Certainly there are many people in this country lacking hope.

They think that the only thing on the table is Theresa May's bleak

vision of us leaving the European Union

But there are also many people who voted Remain

And they feel, actually, we have just got to get on with it now,

and many of them think Theresa May is the person to do that.

So what there is out there are many people who feel

And for what I'm saying to people is that I haven't and if you believe

that Britain's future is better alongside our neighbours in Europe,

you should not be forced to accept a stitch up between Brussels

and London, you should have the final say.

As well as a referendum on the Brexit deal,

the Liberal Democrat manifesto promises ?7 billion of extra

A penny rise in income tax to fund more spending

on the NHS and social care, an end to the freeze

And the party wants to legalise and regulate cannabis.

There's no mention, though, of abolishing tuition fees,

a policy the Lib Dems abandoned when they went into coalition

Would you now accept tuition fees were the right thing to do,

Well, you know, I voted against the rise in tuition fees.

I think it is critically important that people keep their word.

And that is why my advice to others is do not make

Would you now put reversing it on your manifesto?

We have said we would put in significant additional money

to return grants to students to make sure it is affordable.

Here in south-west London the Lib Dems are hoping for a comeback.

The area voted overwhelmingly against Brexit.

So how is their promise of another referendum

It is very childish to think just because you do not like a decision

that has been made and has been voted for, that you can go

This is a democracy, this is the country that we live

in and I think we should support that and stand by that.

Even though the decision wasn't one that I liked.

I do not think that the fight should ever stop.

I think it affects far too many lives.

And yes, we should carry on fighting until we have, you know,

I was disappointed with the news about a potential referendum

because I think that ship has sailed now.

And it is about trying to get the best kind of Brexit.

And so how many seats do you need to gain?

My sense is that we need to increase our number of seats,

increase our vote share, but what we need above all else

is to offer the British people this one chance.

This is the last chance saloon for Britain.

If you believe Britain is open, tolerant and united,

if you reject the extreme version of Brexit that Theresa May,

Jeremy Corbyn and Ukip have pushed through the House of Commons,

if you reject that and want a better future,

the Liberal Democrats are the only party that is offering new hope.

Two years ago the Lib Dems narrowly avoided election wipe-out.

They're hoping Brexit thrown them a political lifeline.

As we've heard, the Liberal Democrats are hoping

to attract young voters - not just with that pledge to have

another referendum on any Brexit deal, but with several other

policies, including housing and the voting voting age.

Our home editor, Mark Easton, has been to Cambridge to see what issues

We are here to talk to you about the election today. Let us know your

thoughts and tweet us. The voice of the young. So often ignored by the

politician, it is loud and clear, at Cambridge regional college. It could

be about anything, Brexit, student tuition. It broadcasts to thousand

of potential young voters in the number one target seat for the

Liberal Democrats. So what is on their mind? Politicians have to

start appealing to young people, because these young people will grow

old. The Liberal Democrat manifesto

promises young people cheaper bus fare, higher welfare payment, help

with housing an votes for 16-year-olds. Is lowering the

sleeting age the kind of policy that cuts it with these student

hairdressers. A lot of people my age don't know enough about it and they

kind of like, they go with what their parents think, so I don't

think it a great idea to be honest. Brexit is a big issue for you,

explain why? I am a British citizen but my parents are Portuguese, so

are the rest of the family. The Liberal Democrats are saying they

want a softer Brexit that will retain access to the sing market, is

that appealing for someone like you? Well, I guess it is all talk. I

don't know if it is going to be done.

Political wisdom degrees your manifesto should appeal to people

who will actually vote, so when Liberal Democrat focus on younger

people is a risk. 18-24 are half as likely to vote as pensioners.

This college has been encouraging students to register before next

Monday's deadline, but cities with large student populations have been

reporting a big drop in registration. And there is a

credibility issue for the Liberal Democrats. After promising not to

put up university tuition fees in the 2010 election they voted to do

just that, in Government. Are the Liberal Democrats damaged goods now?

I don't really remember when they put them up, but I was probably

finishing secondary school, but for me, knowing what they have done I

wouldn't be able to trust them. I feel like they are stuck in

catch-22. What they are giving is a mix of the middle. They are going to

offer a maintenance grant, which is great. Everybody should be given the

chance to go to uni. So these are Liberal Democrat target voters in a

Liberal Democrat target seat. Am quite excited. O for the party a lot

depends on how they respond to the promises of politicians.

Wage growth has fallen behind the cost of living for the first

time in three years, according to the Office

Average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, increased by 2.1%.

In the three months to March, while inflation rose by 2.3%

Meanwhile, unemployment has fallen to 4.6% -

Here's our economics editor, Kamal Ahmed.

A business fair in Leeds and good new on job, firms hiring plenty of

people as economic growth remains positive.

We are continually recruiting staff, we have grown quickly over the last

to two years from four to 32 people.some We have employed our new

manager, and we have also employed in the last couple of months a new

ground staff. At this moment in time on our company website, I think we

have 15 vacancies posted. The last time we saw unemployment this low

was 1975. When the price of a pint of milk was sense pence it was an

era of high inflation and rapidly increasing incomes. Today inflation

is creeping back and incomes growth is falling.

Let us look at the more recent history of pay and rising prices in

Britain. If we go back to the year 2000, you can see that earnings were

consistently above the rate of inflation, on average people were

better off. That came to an abrupt halt in 2008, when the financial

crisis hit. Wages fell sharply and inflation rose, as things like the

cost of petrol went up. That led to this long period of pay squeeze,

that didn't come to an end until September 2014. And until today,

wages have stayed above the cost of living, but the gap has been

closing, and today, those lines crossed, individual incomes on

average are going down again. Donna is a teaching assistant from

south-east London. She has faced a pay freeze for four years.

I struggle to eat sometimes. We don't, I have to social life.

Because of no money to go out. And it is a choice of heating and

eating. So one winter it was sitting there with blanket, hot water

bottle, jackets, jumpers. G and for other hard-pressed

consumers it doesn't look like the problem is going away any time soon.

The big question for 2017 is whether wages respond to either of two big

pressure, those are fast rising inflation and low unemployment. If

they don't, we are likely to see the pay freeze continue for some time

and that is concerning. Is there a spark for the UK economy? A way to

produce more wealth from the hard hours we work? That relieses on

productivity going up, but the figures are down again. Until that

problem is solved, the danger of a continued income squeeze remains.

Ian Brady's ashes will not be scattered on Saddleworth Moor,

the inquest into his death has heard.

Brady, who tortured and killed five children with his lover

Myra Hindley, buried four of his victims on the moor.

The hearing was told Brady's solicitor had given assurances

"there is no likelihood" his ashes would be scattered there.

Sheffield City Council have been ordered to pay nearly ?200,000

in compensation to a former employee who was sexually abused

Richard Rowe, who has waived his right to anonymity,

successfully sued the council after being assaulted

Dodds was sentenced to 16 years in prison in February

for a series of assaults on colleagues and students.

In the United States, President Trump has been accused

on interfering in an FBI investigation into the links

between his former national security adviser and Russia.

It's reported that Trump asked James Comey, who was FBI

director at the time, to "let this go" - that's according

to a memo reportedly written by Comey immediately afterwards.

Comey was fired from his post last week.

The White House has denied the claims, but there are calls

for all records of their meetings to be released to congress.

Our North America correspondent Aleem Maqbool is in Washington.

On productivity going up, but the figures are down again. Until that

problem is solved, the danger of a continued income squeeze remains.

Yes, this presidency has it seems lurched from one controversy to the

next. But with this scandal, Donald Trump may be on the shakiest ground

yet. In his first appearance since the story broke he has been as

defiant as ever. No politician in history, and I say this with great

assurety, has been treated worse, or more unfairly, you can't let them

get you down. You can't let the critics and the naysayers get in the

way of your dreams. Adversity makes you stronger. Don't

give in, don't back down, and never stop doing what you know is right.

He has become more famous than me. It centre on relations between these

two men. James Comey was fired as FBI director by Donald Trump last

week. The allegation is the President had tried to get him to

drop a key investigation. Mr Comby was looking into links between

Michael Flynn and Russia. But its reported the FBI director

kept details of his meetings with Mr Trump and wrote this in a crucial

memo. It says the President tome hilled I home you can see your way

clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy, I hope

you can let this go. To which Comey replied:

This is not good for America. With what looks to America like the

President tried to impede an investigation it has had some

comparing to it the begin of the end to Nixon I think we have seen it

before, I think it is reaching the point where it is of Watergate size

and scale and a couple of other scandals that you and I have seen.

We can't deal with speculation and innuendo and there is clearly a lot

of politics being played, our job is to get the facts and to be sober

about doing that. It is a far off prospect but the word impeachment is

being bandied about. He has managed it so far, but with

more details likely to emerge of apparent attempts to influence an

investigation, Donald Trump may find it harder to side step scandal.

the way what makes this scandal difference is not valid about Donald

Trump saying something embarrassing or doing something controversial.

It's about potentially him doing something improper for which action

against him could be taken. We've just heard in the last hour or so

that the Senate is not just asked for any other documents and memos

relating to conversations between Donald Trump and the former FBI

director, but also they have asked that James Komi, who was just sacked

last week, should testify, and if that happens, that could turn up the

heat on Donald Trump. Many thanks. It is 6:15pm.

The Liberal Democrats publish their manifesto and pledge

a second EU referendum on a final Brexit deal.

And still to come, what's most important

We're in South Wales, hearing from dairy farmer Abbie Reader.

Coming up in Sportsday in the next 15 minutes on BBC News,

Watford cut short Walter Mazzarri's contract.

They are looking for their ninth manager in five years.

The UN is issuing a warning about just how many child migrants

and refugees are at risk of being exploited by

Unicef, the children's agency, says there's been an unprecedented

increase in the number of unaccompanied minors travelling

Our correspondent Caroline Hawley has been to Greece, where she has

been talking to children who have fled war and poverty.

They had to cross through five different countries to get here.

Three Afghan orphans now being looked after at a shelter in Athens.

Their parents were killed in a Taliban bomb.

The boys arrived here in March after a month-long

Hameed says they now want to join their 18-year-old brother in Sweden.

How difficult was the journey, what was the hardest part?

With so many migrants now stuck in Greece,

there is not space in proper shelters for all the

And there are stories of teenagers being forced to work for no pay.

Or prostituting themselves for pocket money.

One in ten of the children who have arrived in Greece travelled alone.

These Syrian brothers told me their parents had sent

them to Europe to avoid them being conscripted.

It is very dangerous to stay in Syria because they are taking

a lot of children like us from age 16 for the war, to fight.

In the shelter they live in, 21 teenagers are learning

The man in charge of the refuge fled Iran as a child himself.

TRANSLATION: All these kids have psychological difficulties.

They have sleep problems, aggressiveness, self harm.

Not wanting to eat or be around other people.

Some of them will be scarred for life by what they've been through.

And the UN says that record numbers of children are now

on the move around the world without their parents,

driven from their countries by conflict and desperation.

Much more must be done, it says, to protect them.

The Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has announced he is to retire.

Mr Kenny, who's been Taoiseach since 2011,

will stand down as Fine Gael leader as of midnight.

However, he'll remain as Taoiseach in an acting capacity

until his successor is elected by the party next month.

US soldier Chelsea Manning has been released from military prison.

She served seven years of a 35-year sentence for leaking hundreds

of thousands of diplomatic cables and military files to Wikileaks.

Most of her sentence was commuted by then-US

Chocolate maker Nestle has lost in their attempt to make the shape

of its four-fingered Kit Kat bar a registered trademark.

The company argued that the shape of the famous snack was iconic

and deserved protection, but lost the case after strong

It's the latest twist in a long-running legal batter

between the two firms, as our Business Correspondent

Nestle has been making this famous chocolate wafer since 1935.

But should Nestle have a monopoly on the shape of this bestseller?

Today three senior appeal court judges decided it wasn't distinctive

So the judges gave two fingers to Nestle's attempt to trademark

Viennetta had the same problem with its creamy whirls.

Cadbury had lots of legal battles over its purple wrappers.

Coke, though, got a trademark for its glass bottle

and so did Toblerone because of its triangular peaks.

So why do these big brands go to all this expense and bother?

For certain brands it's really important that they

For example, if I say a building brick for children,

you already know what the brand design I'm thinking about and that's

a very, very distinctive shape so there you can see it

in your own head why it's so important that the shape,

sometimes even smells, even colours, are denoted.

People associate them with that brand.

Obviously there's a big commercial benefit in having

It's easier to push away copycats and keep your unique

Nestle says it's disappointed and is considering its next steps.

This long-running dispute could end up going all the way

In the run-up to the general election we've been asking

you about the subjects that matter to you.

Who will negotiate Brexit is one of the big talking points amongst

Nearly half all farming income in the UK comes from EU subsidies.

Elaine Dunkley has been to Goldsland Farm near

My heart and soul is in these sheds and in these cows.

What are the big issues in the run-up to this election for you?

The big issues are going to be trade, labour and investment

The single market is personally extremely valuable to us.

We do need to start getting appropriate trade deals in that

allow our goods to move quickly and easily.

On this farm here we produce milk, we produce meat

When they're ready to go, they have to go, so we can't

We can't have tariffs stopping anything being sold on a shelf

One of the key concerns is definitely going to be thinking

about sourcing labour to do various jobs on the farm.

And agriculture uses a lot of labour from within the EU.

At the moment, in farming we use about 250,000

Abbie is also worried about losing EU subsidies.

Last year, farmers in the UK received more than ?2.5

The Conservative party had guaranteed subsidies till 2020.

Probably the best example I can give you on that are these calves.

I had a calf born yesterday, a heffer calf.

In two years' time she will come into my herd ready to milk.

In that amount of time she will have cost me ?1,800-?2,000 to rear.

We're already thinking beyond 2020 just for these youngsters

before I'll start to turn a profit from them.

That is how long-term we are looking.

This general election will determine who will steer

And Abbie wants agriculture high up on the political agenda.

We are a massive part of the economy and I hope that politicians realise

I want to hear from them that they are going to

I want to hear that they care about this industry.

Farming is just so linked to what people do and I want to see

politicians notice that and say, "We're going to stand up for you."

And if you want to find out more about what policies

the parties are offering you, or indeed find out how to contact us

with an issue you want exploring, then our website is where

What are the chances of some sunshine?

For tomorrow, not so much today, a large swathe of England have had a

large amount of rainfall. It is now moving eastwards through East Anglia

and the far south-east. Warm and humid but dry for much of the day.

This is one soggy outlook in Dorset to date and look at the rainfall

totals we've had in the past 24 hours from Hampshire, Lincolnshire,

north-west London, 20-40 millimetres quite widely. Half a month's worth

coming in 24 hours, for some, but it's a wet rush hour across eastern

England. The rain will pull out into the North Sea tonight. Heavy showers

in Northern Ireland, north-west Scotland. They will continue

overnight pushing into parts of Wales but western areas will be dry,

clear and quite chilly inroad spots into low single figures. Tomorrow, a

completely different day. Lots of sunshine to begin with but the

showers get going quickly tomorrow in Northern Ireland. One or two

elsewhere. A dry day in the Channel Islands. The odd shower in

south-west England and south-east England and Anglia looking dry. A

late shower in the Midlands. Catch a shower in Wales, northern England in

the afternoon. There could be heavy ones especially for Northern

Ireland, Scotland, some slow-moving heavy, thundery downpours in places

and risk of Heol. Some of those will continue into Thursday evening and

through Thursday night into Friday, a splash of rain in eastern parts of

England before clearing on Friday and elsewhere, sunshine and showers

get going once again and there will be some heavy downpours around. That

takes us into the weekend with low-pressure. Pleasant sunny spells

at times. By day and chilly by night. George.

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.