13/12/2017 BBC News at Six

Tonight at Six - Theresa May

is about to face a show-down

with her own MPs over what role

Parliament will play

in the Brexit process.

We will put the final

withdrawal agreement,

betweent the UK and EU,

to a vote in both

Houses of Parliament.

But that's not enough for Tory

rebels - they want a guarantee

that they will have the power

to send ministers back

to the negotiating table.

It's not for Parliament to simply

roll over and accept something

because the Government says

that's what we should do.

The debate is taking place right now

- we'll have the latest.

Also tonight.

Chris Froome - fighting for his

reputation after he fails a drugs

test taken during his victorious run

in Spain's La Vuelta.

A fourth child, just

three years old, dies

after the Manchester house fire -

two people have been

charged with murder.

Jailed - the gang that used drones

to smuggle everything from mobiles

to cannabis into prisons

in Scotland and England.

Official figures on the pay squeeze.

Your wages will buy you no more

today than they did 11 years ago.

And coming up on Sportsday.

England's Ashes defence

hangs in the balance

going into Third Test in Perth -

captain Joe Root calls on big

performances from his players.

Good evening and welcome

to the BBC News at Six.

In the next hour or so Theresa May

faces a crunch vote

on her Brexit plans.

Several of her own MPs have joined

Labour in demanding parliament has

the power to send ministers back

to the negotiating table if it

doesn't like the final deal

between the UK and the EU.

So far the Prime Minister has

offered what she's called

a "meaningful vote" -

but is that enough or will she have

to make a concession

in order to avoid a defeat.

Our political editor,

Laura Kuenssberg is in Westminster.

Thank you. There has been a lot of

fuss, froth, but this is really

about is how much power is the

Government willing to give MPs over

the final Brexit deal? For a long

time ministers have said of course

you will have a vote, of course it

will be meaningful, of course you

will have a say, but the Labour

Party, the SNP, the Liberal

Democrats and a crucial group of

Tory potential rebels want a legal

promise now, they will not just have

a vote, but they will have a vote

before the deal is signed. Now the

numbers look extremely tight but it

is possible that the Government will

tonight be forced to do so. But it's

the determination of the Tory rebels

that will really make the

difference.

Look at the Chancellor's little

list. At the top of a sheaf of paper

the names of the Tory rebels who

might beat their party bosses tone.

Nicky, Anna, Dominic and the rest.

Only their first names, those former

ministers who have been trying for

weeks to have their say. .

Would she

be so good as to help the Right

Honourable and learned gentleman's

amended seven in the spirit of unity

for everybody here and in the

country.

We will ensure there is a meaningful

vote on this, in this House, there

will be be an opportunity for

Parliament to look at the withdrawal

agreement and implementation bill.

What does that all mean? About 20

Tory MPs, the opposition parties and

these hardy campaigners. Are

demanding so-called amendment seven.

That is a legal promise from the

Government today, that MPs will have

the chance to vote and debate the

deal between Britain and the rest of

the EU. And crucially, before it's

signed.

Stop Brexit.

The Government says there will be a

vote but there isn't much trust they

will stick to it. The former

Attorney General who is leading the

charge says it has got rough.

Large

number of people telling one is a

traitor, some I have to say with

regret of one's honourable and right

honourable friend saying things I

fight startling.

He is engage in

this seriously but there is no

getting around the timing issue we

have got

The debate is whether

honourable members are content that

Parliament be a spectator, a passive

observer into one of the most

important decisions that has faced

or country in generations.

They are

adamant they shouldn't bundle but it

is bad-tempered look at this row

inside the same political party.

This article, clause nine, is not

about implementing leaving the

European Union.

It is.

No, no.

Read

it. Read it.

Sit down.

I am not capable of hearing what my

honourable friend is saying, because

there seems to be an inordinate

racquet being made behind me.

There

is deep suspicion, those who wanted

to stay in the EU are trying to

rerun the referendum.

If people in

in House use that amendment for

those purposes, the backlash from

the British public will be like none

seen before, he should be

beware/that.

The idea this

undermines the referendum decision

is rubbish and he knows it. If he

had any better arguments he would

put them rather than using something

that is so ridiculous.

But it's a

stand-off so far. The Downing Street

machine, determined not to move.

Instead, an offensive, maybe with

charm, to talk the rebels round.

What it is going to take?

Not much

sign they are in any mood to back

down

It is unpleasant. I never hope

to be in the situation, but I, you

know I think that a number of us

have made the point for the last

probably three months, that this is

the amendment we think is incredibly

important.

This clash has been

brewing for weeks. If Number Ten

lose, it would be the first time

Theresa May has been beaten this

way.

Has the Government done enough

to beat the rebels?

At the moment

for arm twisting and arguments is

nearly gone.

The vote is expected at round 7.00,

and I hear in the last couple of

minutes just along there, three of

the key rebels have just left the

Commons chamber apparently after

they were passed a note from one of

Theresa May's most important aides,

so there is a chance some last

minute skullduggery could mean a

concession from the Government or a

compromise on behalf of the rebel,

but it may well be George, in the

last hour, that Theresa May is

beaten in the House of Commons, on

her own plans, that would be the

first time this has happened since

she has been in power, and on the

eve of that vital EU summit in

Brussels, Frank lit would be a blow

to her authority, that she could

well do without.

Chris Froome, Britain's most

successful road cyclist, is tonight

fighting to clear his name after it

emerged that he's

failed a drug test.

The four time Tour de France winner

is being investigated by cycling's

world governing body after a urine

sample taken in Spain earlier this

year showed he had twice

the permitted amount of an asthma

medication in his system.

Our sports editor Dan Roan reports.

Having come to dominate cycling's

biggest race Chris Froome's

established himself as the

pre-eminent force in his sport but

the British star faces a fight to

save his reputation. It was here

during his historic victory at

Spain's grand tour the Vuelta that

he was found to have exceeded the

permitted legal level of the asthma

drug salbutamol. He says on doctors

advice he increased his dosage due

asthma, in a statement he said I

took the greatest care to ensure I

did not use more than the

permissible dose. I take my

leadership position very seriously.

Team Sky say that Froome, who has

had asthma since childhood was

suffering from acute symptoms in the

final week of the Vuelta and he was

asked about his health immediately

after the 18th stage of the race on

the day he provided the irregular

sample.

Speculation about whether

you are ill. You said no yesterday.

100% fit and healthy today

I felt

fine today, yes.

Riders can take

salbutamol up to a certain limit but

Froome's sample showed traces twice

the permitted amount. In a statement

Team Sky boss said:

If you are dehydrated your level

will be higher, the speed he can

metabolise through his system, if he

does that fast, it will increase the

level in his urine, so it is

difficult to sort of say if I take

four puffs I know my level will be

this, it is difficult to say that on

daily basis.

Scrutiny on Team Sky

has intensified with management

grilled at a Parliamentary zitty

hearing and a UK anti-doping

investigation into allegations all

denied and not proven surrounding a

mystery medical delivery to Bradley

Wigans in 2011. Froome has taken a

strong moral stance on the use of

TUEs for usually banned substances.

I think it does enormous damage,

people will listen to everything we

are saying about hearings and they

won't care, as far as they are

concerned it is another thing that

has happened to Team Sky and cycling

as far as the reputation of cycling

is concerned it is damaging.

2018

was meant to be the year Froome

would attempt a fifth tour the

France triumph. Instead with the

threat of a ban and the potential

loss of his Spanish title hanging

over him he is riding into an

uncertain future.

In cycling terms he is simply as big

as it gets. He is British sport's

most successful current star, ehis

name will be among the lists of

favourites in the Sports Personality

of the Year award. He faces an

anxious wait as does Team Sky. They

are busy trying to recover their

reputation, after a series of

controversy, they built their brand

round Froome and their stated zero

tolerance policy towards doping but

they will by a wear in the past

riders have faced bans of up to a

year for having that substance in

their systems at excess levels.

After such a deeply troubled past

with cheatling, Chris Froome was

symbolic of a brave new clean era

for cycling, so there is a huge

amount at stake here, for the man

and his team, but also for the sport

at large.

A fourth child has died after a fire

at a house in the Walkden area

of Greater Manchester.

Lia Pearson was just

three years old.

Two people have appeared in court,

charged with murder.

Zac Bolland, who is 23,

and 20-year old Courtney Brierley

were were remanded in custody

until their case moves

to the Crown Court on Thursday -

as our correspondent Danny Savage

reports.

The sad remains of this house

are still the subject

of detailed examination.

And now a fourth child

from the Pearson family has died

after Monday's fire.

The death of three-year-old

Lia Pearson this afternoon comes

as two people were charged

with murder, in relation

to what happened here.

They both appeared before

magistrates in Manchester today.

23-year-old Zac Bolland

and 20-year-old Courtney Brierley

are charged with the murders

of three children,

and the attempted murder

of their mother, Michelle Pearson,

and three other children.

But those charges are

likely to change now that

Lia Pearson has also died.

Her eight-year-old brother Brandon

and seven-year-old sister

Lacie died in hospital,

following the blaze.

Their sister, 15-year-old

Demi Pearson, died at the scene.

Today, the head teacher

of her school talked

about what had happened.

Demi was a great kid, great student,

fun-loving, extremely popular,

popular with all the kids in school

and very popular outside

of school as well.

Obviously, it's a tragic,

tragic life has the been cut short.

Michelle Pearson is still seriously

ill in hospital, unaware that four

of her children are now dead.

Police say their investigation

has moved quickly since

the fire on Monday.

No details of what happened

here then were heard in court today,

but now people will have to try

and come to terms with the death

of another child in this tragedy.

Danny Savage, BBC News,

Walkden in Greater Manchester.

The comedian Peter Kay has cancelled

all work commitments

because of what he's called

"unforeseen family circumstances."

He's said the decision had not been

taken lightly, but his family

must always come first.

He was due to do his

first live stand up tour

in eight years in April.

The ringleader of a gang that used

drones to smuggle drugs,

phones and weapons into prisons,

has been sentenced to more

than seven years in jail.

Craig Hickinbottom ran the operation

from inside prison where he's

serving a separate sentence

for armed robbery.

The 11-strong gang organised

at least 49 drone flights,

smuggling goods worth more

than a million pounds.

Our home affairs correspondent

Daniel Sandford has

this exclusive report.

Cameras originally set up to take

pictures of wildlife,

catching instead Britain's most

prolific drone smuggling gang.

Recording the pilot Mervyn Foster

time and again flying the drone

from a field outside Hewell

prison in Worcestershire.

Its illegal cargo hanging

underneath on fishing line.

From the field, the smugglers had

a view directly into the jail

and the prison block

where the drone's cargo was pulled

in through the windows.

Over the months the gang grew

in confidence and sophistication.

They had started by simply throwing

the drugs over the prison wall.

But then they started using drones

and they added to the contraband.

Mobile phones, weapons,

screwdrivers, and even a Freeview

box with a remote control.

Cameras inside Hewell prison caught

one of the ringleaders,

John Hickinbottom,

with an improvised hook used

to catch the fishing line

and recover the contraband.

The gang, led by armed

robber Craig Hickinbottom,

is thought to have smuggled in over

a million pounds worth

of drugs and phones,

continuing even after they had been

arrested and charged.

The contents of the loads

on at least 49 flights

were specifically ordered

by individual inmates

from the Midlands to Scotland.

The recent epidemic of drones

being used to airlift contraband

into prison grew from nothing

in just four years.

We didn't see this one coming.

So the drones literally

came from nowhere.

They were flown in and it actually

just was a game changer for us.

So we had to really

relook at our systems,

our procedures and methods

of gathering intelligence.

And it gave the gangs of opportunity

to actually breach the secure

perimeters almost effortlessly.

To crack this case, officers

downloaded the memories

of the drones they seized and linked

that to mobile phone calls

the smugglers were making.

The prisons ministers had to invest

millions of pounds in a new national

network of police and prison

officers, working together,

which helped catch this gang.

What we have shown here is that this

is the most prolific

gang we've come across.

And we've been able

to deal with them.

They're going to be serving jail

time and that is a huge success.

But with huge profits being made

by the smuggling gangs,

keeping drones away from prisons

is going to be a lengthy battle.

Daniel Sandford, BBC News,

at HMP Hewell in Worcestershire.

Our top story this evening...

Theresa May faces a showdown

with her own MPs over what role

Parliament will play

in the Brexit process.

And still to come...

An election upset in America. The

Democrats win Alabama for the first

time in 25 years. Coming up on

Sportsday, we look ahead to seven

games in the Premier League tonight,

with Manchester United and

Manchester City in action.

Tomorrow, survivors and families

of the victims of the Grenfell Tower

fire will gather to mark six months

since the fire, in

which 71 people died.

A special remembrance

service will be held

at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

This week on the News at Six,

we've featured some of those

affected by the fire.

Tonight we hear from Nabil Choucair,

who lost his mother, sister,

brother-in-law and three nieces

in the fire.

I should warn you that

you may find some images

in this report distressing.

I'm Nabil Choucair,

and I lost six members

of my family at Grenfell Tower.

I got a call from my sister,

and I switched on the TV to see

the tower my sister lived in,

and my family, was on fire.

When I got there they had

cordoned off the whole

area and they were not

allowing anyone in.

I could see the whole

building on fire.

And I was fighting to try and get

in, to try and rescue them.

We were hoping that they were still

alive, that they had made

it out to a shelter,

a hospital, they had got out.

I only heard from my sister,

she gave me a missed call

in the early hours of the morning.

She sent a voice message saying hi,

it's Nabil, and we're in the tower.

And it just kept going through my

mind, that I was hoping she had made

it out and we were still trying

to look for them, hoping that they

weren't still in the tower.

Someone took a picture

and we were quite certain

that was my sister waving,

trying to get attention

from the rescue team or someone,

with her husband right beside her.

We just hoped that they had made it.

When I see that tower,

I remember my family.

And I remember the night

and I remember the good times

that we had together.

It was half our life there

and they were really enjoyable,

they loved everybody,

they wouldn't hurt anyone.

The kids were fantastic.

They really enjoyed playing

with my kids so much.

I have to keep fighting,

I will keep fighting for them.

Because I need the answers

and I need the justice for everybody

that lost their lives.

Their lives will not go in vain.

That was Nabil Choucair -

who lost six members

of his family at Grenfell Tower.

The latest figures on employment

and pay are out today.

There's been a slight pick-up

in average pay rises for British

workers, but not enough

to keep up with inflation.

In fact wages don't go any further

today than they did 11 years ago.

Our economics correspondent,

Andy Verity, can explain it all.

This is quite surprising, given what

is happening in the labour market?

Employers have a problem, they can't

find the staff. If you look at the

number of vacancies out there,

798,000 jobs on offer. Before the

Brexit vote, you might have expected

migrant workers to fill a lot of

those roles. We know that

immigration is coming down, the

workforce was expanding, now it is

shrinking. That should put workers

in a good bargaining position to

demand higher pay rises, because the

employers who need to employ people

are going to have to pay more to

attract and keep them. You look at

what has happened to average pay and

it has edged up by 2.3%, slightly

more than expected, more than last

time. Nowhere near enough to keep up

with price rises, which are 3.1%,

the average pay packet is £478 a

week. In real terms, taking into

account inflation, what pattern by

you, the slightly depressing and

says that it is no more than it

could buy you back in February 2006.

The average pay package would buy

you the same. The jobs market may be

tight, but hasn't yet resulted in

inflation beating pay rises.

A 15-year-old boy has admitted

causing the deaths of five people

who were killed when the stolen car

they were in hit a tree in Leeds.

The teenager, who cannot be

named for legal reasons,

appeared via video link

at Leeds Crown Court.

He was remanded in custody ahead

of sentencing next month.

Five people, including

three children, died

in the crash in November.

The Democratic party is celebrating

an unexpected victory,

after taking the US Senate seat

in the state of Alabama

for the first time in 25 years.

Doug Jones beat the controversial

Republican Roy Moore

in a special election.

Mr Moore - who's been accused

of assaulting teenage girls,

but denies the allegations -

was publicly backed

by President Trump.

The result means the Republican

majority in the senate

now stands at 51-49 -

as our North America correspondent

Nick Bryant reports.

Modern-day Democrats aren't supposed

to win staunchly conservative

states like Alabama.

It's 25 years since that happened.

So no wonder this blizzard

of confetti to mark the shock

victory of Doug Jones.

Alabama has been at a crossroads.

We have been at a

crossroads in the past.

And unfortunately we have usually

taken the wrong fork.

Tonight, ladies and gentlemen,

you took the right road!

The losing Republican

candidate, Roy Moore, thought

he was on his way to Washington.

But he was hit by allegations,

which he denies, of sexual

misconduct against teenage girls.

And shunned by senior figures

in the Republican establishment.

That is where the anger of his

dejected supporters was directed.

It is really sad for the people

of Alabama, what took place

in this state tonight.

You think you have been betrayed

by the Republican establishment?

Absolutely.

No doubt about that.

You know, there was a lot

of dirty politics going on.

I have never seen such ugly slander,

what I believe were blatant lies.

I have never seen such

despicable behaviour.

# You can't always

get what you want...

It's true.

You can't always get what you want.

A lesson for Donald Trump,

who has strongly backed Roy Moore.

So get out and vote for Roy Moore...

So this is a big black eye

for the president and also a failure

of the Trump political playbook.

To deny accusations of wrongdoing

as fake news and to attack accusers.

In Washington this reduces

the Republican majority in the US

Senate to a single seat,

making it even harder

for Donald Trump to get

legislation through Congress.

It also boosts Democratic hopes

of winning back control

of Capitol Hill in congressional

elections next year.

A key battleground will be

the suburbs, and this

election revealed a weakness

there for Donald Trump amongst

moderate Republicans.

On his Twitter feed this morning

the president was blaming a flawed

Republican candidate

for this humiliating defeat.

But Donald Trump

was also a big loser.

Nick Bryant, BBC News, Alabama.

England's cricketers will be

fighting to keep their ashes

hopes alive tomorrow,

as they take on Australia

in the third test in Perth.

England lost the first two tests

and need at least a draw

to avoid a series defeat.

But it'll be a tough task -

they've not won at the Waca

since 1978, as Andy Swiss reports.

In one of the most isolated

cities in the world,

one of the loneliest places

for English cricket.

The Waca is where so many

Ashes dreams have died.

So many decades of

disappointment for England's

players and their fans.

But here, a team trailing

on the pitch and in turmoil off it

know they need something

extraordinary.

It's an opportunity

to create history.

It's a real chance to flip

the dynamic of this series

on its head and, if we do come away

2-1 from this game, it does blow

the series wide open.

Well, for England over the years

the Waca has normally

lived up to its name.

They've lost their last seven tests

here and they've arrived for this

one with not just their cricket,

but their conduct

under the spotlight.

The latest barroom incident,

in which bowler Jimmy Anderson had

a drink poured over him,

has given Australia's headline

writers another field day.

And some believe the culture

of the team needs to change.

They do behave like students.

You know, when they go out,

they think they're students.

They're not, they're

England cricketers.

The perception is that

they drink too much.

In terms of everything that's

happened to the team,

their performance levels,

the off-field antics,

I would be staggered if England got

a victory this week.

This will be the last

Ashes Test at this

atmospheric ground -

for so long, Australia's

western stronghold.

But, for one final time,

they could watch the sunset

on England's hopes.

Andy Swiss, BBC News, Perth.

Slightly different weather over

here!

Here's Louise Lear

Here's Louise Lear

We started with scenes like this,

sunshine and lying snow. The snow is

thawing. This has been the scene

today. I know which I prefer. It has

been wet at times, a real mess out

there. That is how it will stay for

the evening rush hour. As showers

push in and the temperatures fall

away, we can see a mix of rain,

sleet, snow and even hail and

thunder. Tricky driving conditions.

Showers continue to drive eastwards,

accompanied by gale force gusts of

wind, particularly down towards the

south, and temperatures towards

freezing. Icy stretches in the

morning. In the south-west, gales

slowly easing but a rational

showers. Yes, we could see icy

stretches across East Anglia and

into the north of England and North

Wales, particularly on rural

untreated roads. Still some showers

and a wintry flavour to higher

ground across Northern Ireland and

Scotland. Ice again could be an

issue. As we go through the day,

fingers crossed the wind should

start to ease a little. That will

prevent the showers from pushing too

far inland tomorrow. Central and

eastern areas will see the best of

the dry and sunny weather. Showers

confining themselves to the coast.

Not particularly warm, but a degree

or so upon what we have seen, two or

7 degrees. Wind coming round to a

northerly on Friday. That could

drive in a fume showers in East.

Friday is a quiet day, a good day of

sunny weather in the story and a

similar feel to tomorrow. The cold

air is set to with us, but there is

a change in the theme, milder air

and when swinging back to the

south-west, that will drive in some

rain. Saturday will be the better of

the two through the weekend. More

cloud and some rain gushing from the

West. But it will be a little bit

milder with a return to double

digits.

A reminder of our main story...

Theresa May faces a showdown

with her own MPs over what role