13/03/2018

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0:00:00 > 0:00:00A not-so-special night for the so-called Special One.

0:00:00 > 0:00:00John Watson, BBC News.

0:00:13 > 0:00:16Good evening. I'm Riz Lateef.

0:00:16 > 0:00:18It was the news that leaseholders in two tower blocks

0:00:18 > 0:00:22in Croydon were dreading.

0:00:22 > 0:00:25Today, they were told they will have to pay to remove and replace

0:00:25 > 0:00:27flammable cladding similar to Grenfell - a potential bill of up

0:00:27 > 0:00:28to £2 million.

0:00:28 > 0:00:31They'd argued that it was the building owner's responsibility.

0:00:31 > 0:00:32The tribunal ruling could have implications for thousands

0:00:32 > 0:00:34of people across the capital.

0:00:34 > 0:00:39Our Political Editor Tim Donovan explains.

0:00:39 > 0:00:43Somehow we managed to get legal support...

0:00:43 > 0:00:48Anuj is on to his lawyer because the news isn't good,

0:00:48 > 0:00:51a tribunal judgment has gone against him and other residents.

0:00:51 > 0:00:53The cladding was removed when it failed

0:00:53 > 0:00:56tests after Grenfell, since then fire marshals have been

0:00:56 > 0:01:04patrolling 24/7.

0:01:04 > 0:01:08Together its cost £500,000 so far and that is a bill to

0:01:08 > 0:01:10be shared between the 95 leaseholders here after the ruling

0:01:10 > 0:01:13the landlords were entitled by the terms of their leases

0:01:13 > 0:01:15to recover it in service charge.

0:01:15 > 0:01:18We are already paying £2,000 service charges and

0:01:18 > 0:01:21this year it will increase up to £20,000 for some people.

0:01:21 > 0:01:24I have to pay £4,000, I'm not sure how I will

0:01:24 > 0:01:28get that to repay it on one month.

0:01:28 > 0:01:30But that's only up until now, new cladding could take the

0:01:30 > 0:01:35bill to £2 million.

0:01:35 > 0:01:38We cannot plan our lives, people's work is

0:01:38 > 0:01:40suffering, they are stressed, it's affecting our lives on a

0:01:40 > 0:01:43daily basis.

0:01:43 > 0:01:48The Mayor said the Government should end that anxiety.

0:01:48 > 0:01:50The Government should be stepping in to

0:01:50 > 0:01:53make these buildings safe, then there is a discussion to be had

0:01:53 > 0:01:57about the cost and the removal.

0:01:57 > 0:02:00Noticeable in this ruling, the judge says it is foreseeable leaseholders

0:02:00 > 0:02:05may have further legal claims against a number of parties.

0:02:05 > 0:02:08The manufacturers of the cladding, Barratt Homes which installed it,

0:02:08 > 0:02:10and the local council, Croydon, which provided the certification.

0:02:10 > 0:02:16Finally the Government itself.

0:02:16 > 0:02:17If it's building regulations are found to

0:02:18 > 0:02:20have been not up to scratch.

0:02:20 > 0:02:21It's possible many other leaseholders

0:02:21 > 0:02:26could be affected in a similar way.

0:02:26 > 0:02:29We think up to 50,000 leaseholders in London could be liable for paying

0:02:29 > 0:02:32costs up to £30,000 per flat or beyond, simply

0:02:32 > 0:02:34because they bought a flat in good faith that the cladding

0:02:35 > 0:02:38on the outside of it was safe.

0:02:38 > 0:02:40They believed that because the Government

0:02:40 > 0:02:43told them it was safe, we now know the Government was wrong.

0:02:43 > 0:02:45The Government must take responsibility

0:02:45 > 0:02:47for taking the cladding down and stop abandoning leaseholders to

0:02:47 > 0:02:52their fate.

0:02:52 > 0:02:55The Government must pay for this work to be done, nobody else.

0:02:55 > 0:02:56The landlords said today they would work

0:02:56 > 0:02:59to minimise the costs of cladding and they too urged

0:02:59 > 0:03:05the Government to offer support.

0:03:05 > 0:03:07Marc Ashdown has more on this - this judgement could have

0:03:07 > 0:03:17far reaching consequences?

0:03:31 > 0:03:34Well it could. There is no doubt this feels like a major judgment,

0:03:34 > 0:03:37but today all we had was hints at what could happen next. The judge

0:03:37 > 0:03:39hinting people affected and as we heard it could run to tens of

0:03:39 > 0:03:41thousands. People's homes are blighted. The judge hinted that

0:03:41 > 0:03:44possibly the Government could look at compensation, underwriting cases

0:03:44 > 0:03:49to make sure that lease holders who have bought in good faith are not

0:03:49 > 0:03:52stung with huge costs.What about the Government.The Government say

0:03:52 > 0:03:57ministers have made it clear they want private landlords to follow the

0:03:57 > 0:04:01social sector and not pass on the costs of essential cladding. They

0:04:01 > 0:04:05drop a hint, saying we will consider the implication of today's judgment.

0:04:05 > 0:04:10How about that for loaded comment? This could be big, we are just not

0:04:10 > 0:04:15sure how yet.Thank you.

0:04:15 > 0:04:17Two victims of the serial sex attacker John Worboys have begun

0:04:17 > 0:04:19a High Court challenge to the decision to

0:04:19 > 0:04:22release him from prison.

0:04:22 > 0:04:25The former taxi driver has served ten years for attacks on 12 women.

0:04:25 > 0:04:29Tom Burridge was in court.

0:04:29 > 0:04:31John Worboys tricked and drugged young women.

0:04:31 > 0:04:33Just eight years ago, he was jailed indefinitely for one

0:04:33 > 0:04:37rape and several assaults in the back of his taxi.

0:04:37 > 0:04:39When the Parole Board announced earlier this year

0:04:39 > 0:04:42that he was to be released, it caused outrage, especially among

0:04:42 > 0:04:46his victims.

0:04:46 > 0:04:48Now, two women he attacked are hoping to overturn

0:04:48 > 0:04:51that decision.

0:04:51 > 0:04:53One of them was in the High Court today - with Worboys

0:04:53 > 0:04:56appearing by video link - as we learned why the

0:04:56 > 0:05:01Parole Board thought he was fit for release.

0:05:01 > 0:05:04It believed Worboys had become open and honest,

0:05:04 > 0:05:09that he had taken full responsibility for his offences and

0:05:09 > 0:05:11had, the Parole Board thought, shown insight into factors that

0:05:12 > 0:05:16could cause him to reoffend.

0:05:16 > 0:05:18But the case put forward by the victims'

0:05:18 > 0:05:23barrister painted a very different picture.

0:05:23 > 0:05:27Philipa Kaufman QC said John Worboys had still only admitted

0:05:27 > 0:05:30the attacks on 12 women for which he was convicted.

0:05:30 > 0:05:32She presented graphic evidence to back up the police's

0:05:32 > 0:05:38assertion that he actually raped and assaulted more than 100 women.

0:05:38 > 0:05:40And according to these court documents, as recent as September,

0:05:40 > 0:05:46prison officials decided to keep Worboys in a Category A prison,

0:05:46 > 0:05:48because he was deemed of sufficient risk.

0:05:48 > 0:05:51That was just three months before the Parole Board decided he

0:05:51 > 0:05:53should be released.

0:05:53 > 0:05:55Those campaigning on behalf of Worboys'

0:05:55 > 0:06:03victims say vital evidence was ignored.

0:06:03 > 0:06:06We heard in court today that the Parole Board haven't listened

0:06:06 > 0:06:09to the women who had been raped by John Worboys, they didn't look at

0:06:09 > 0:06:11any evidence from the trial, or from the judge's finding

0:06:11 > 0:06:13that he was a risk to people.

0:06:13 > 0:06:15It looks like the Parole Board decision was completely

0:06:15 > 0:06:18irrationsal to release John Worboys and it is good that we're able to

0:06:18 > 0:06:19review that decision now.

0:06:19 > 0:06:21Tomorrow, the Parole Board will present it

0:06:21 > 0:06:23case over why this convicted rapist was ready for release.

0:06:23 > 0:06:25The reasoning behind such decisions is

0:06:25 > 0:06:27normally kept secret.

0:06:27 > 0:06:28This case has already raised questions over

0:06:28 > 0:06:34whether that should change.

0:06:34 > 0:06:36While no-one knows for sure what Brexit

0:06:36 > 0:06:39will mean for the capital.

0:06:39 > 0:06:42There is though a small group of Londoners in the heart of Belgium

0:06:42 > 0:06:45who know exactly what it will mean for them - the loss

0:06:45 > 0:06:47of their jobs as our MEPs in the European Parliament.

0:06:47 > 0:06:50Katharine Carpenter has been speaking to two of them about life

0:06:50 > 0:06:57in Brussels since the vote to leave.

0:06:57 > 0:06:59For 18 years, Labour MEP Mary Honeyball has made

0:06:59 > 0:07:01this journey from London to the European

0:07:01 > 0:07:04Parliament once a week.

0:07:04 > 0:07:08She's one of the longest serving MEPs, still believes Brexit can be

0:07:08 > 0:07:12stopped and denies it's having an impact on her work here, yet.

0:07:12 > 0:07:15Obviously, everybody here is aware of Brexit, but we are still

0:07:15 > 0:07:19in the European Union and we're all still getting on with our jobs.

0:07:19 > 0:07:22But for one of the two London MEPs who voted to leave the EU,

0:07:22 > 0:07:27things have been more tense at times.

0:07:27 > 0:07:33I thought perhaps one of the things that went through my mind is -

0:07:33 > 0:07:35actually will I have to resign?

0:07:35 > 0:07:38Will I lose my job as group leader, and I was prepared for that.

0:07:38 > 0:07:41I said, I thought I shouldn't put my own position ahead of my decision.

0:07:41 > 0:07:45The UK has 73 MEPs, eight of them represent London and they earn just

0:07:45 > 0:07:47over 100,000 euros a year before taxes, with generous

0:07:47 > 0:07:50pensions and allowances.

0:07:50 > 0:07:53Mary Honeyball admits perhaps they could have done more to counter

0:07:53 > 0:07:57the perception by some that they're living the high life in Brussels.

0:07:57 > 0:08:00One of the consequences of Brexit is that Europe,

0:08:00 > 0:08:03the European Parliament, what the EU does, has suddenly shot

0:08:03 > 0:08:08up the political agenda.

0:08:08 > 0:08:11So now I think we are getting a lot of exposure and people do know

0:08:11 > 0:08:13who we are and what we do.

0:08:13 > 0:08:15For Mary, that involves meetings like this Brexit briefing

0:08:15 > 0:08:17by the Shadow Health Secretary.

0:08:17 > 0:08:20She thinks her party's position is still a work in progress,

0:08:20 > 0:08:23even raising the possibility that MEPs will have a role to play

0:08:23 > 0:08:24beyond March next year.

0:08:24 > 0:08:28No chance, says her colleague.

0:08:28 > 0:08:32My job will come to an end, end of March 2019.

0:08:32 > 0:08:35At that time the UK will leave and there will be no British MEPs.

0:08:35 > 0:08:37Will you feel sad about it despite your vote?

0:08:37 > 0:08:39Of course I'll feel sad.

0:08:39 > 0:08:42I mean, I've made many good friends and it's been

0:08:42 > 0:08:44a large part of my life.

0:08:44 > 0:08:45As for the future, he hasn't ruled out another attempt

0:08:46 > 0:08:48to become London's Mayor.

0:08:48 > 0:08:51If my party decides to select too early and I'm still involved

0:08:51 > 0:08:54in helping in negotiations, then that won't work for me.

0:08:54 > 0:08:56Probably when that role starts to wind down,

0:08:56 > 0:08:59when we get closer to an agreement, towards the end of the year,

0:08:59 > 0:09:02early next year, then I'll have to start seriously looking

0:09:02 > 0:09:02for a new role.

0:09:02 > 0:09:04What's next for you now after Brexit?

0:09:04 > 0:09:06I'm not really sure, actually.

0:09:06 > 0:09:11I've had a long career in politics, which has been good.

0:09:11 > 0:09:14I should take time to reflect, I think.

0:09:14 > 0:09:19Katherine Carpenter, BBC London News.

0:09:19 > 0:09:20She made recently made global headlines with a speech

0:09:20 > 0:09:25about 'a new day on the horizon for women and girls'.

0:09:25 > 0:09:27Tonight Oprah Winfrey was in London for the European

0:09:27 > 0:09:30premiere of her latest film and we asked her whether the film

0:09:30 > 0:09:32industry was at a watershed moment in addressing gender and racial

0:09:32 > 0:09:35equality.

0:09:35 > 0:09:38Well I think it's the beginning, I think everybody gets all excited

0:09:38 > 0:09:40when there is something new on the horizon,

0:09:40 > 0:09:43which is what I talked about in the Golden Globes speech.

0:09:43 > 0:09:46This is the new, but we have to continue the new.

0:09:46 > 0:09:50So you can't do this and then wait ten years before

0:09:50 > 0:09:50you do something else.

0:09:50 > 0:09:52And you can see more of that interview

0:09:52 > 0:09:53on our Facebook page.

0:09:53 > 0:09:56That's it for now from me, but let's find out what the weather's

0:09:56 > 0:09:57up to with Louise Lear.

0:10:02 > 0:10:08Good evening, if you're off to bed, a promising day in store tomorrow.

0:10:08 > 0:10:13But no two days the same this week. Make the most of tomorrow. This rain

0:10:13 > 0:10:19is on the way. But a light southerly wind will strengthen. But we will

0:10:19 > 0:10:24see clear blue skies, a lot of sunshine and temperatures up to 14

0:10:24 > 0:10:29degree. And that will feel quite spring-like. All change into

0:10:29 > 0:10:32Thursday morning. A spell of wet weather will continue to push north

0:10:32 > 0:10:38and east. Clearing by lunchtime. Into the afternoon some showers,

0:10:38 > 0:10:46some could be heavy. Possibly thundery. Top temperatures 10 to 12.

0:10:46 > 0:10:51We keep the showers going on Friday. But I did say at the start, no two

0:10:51 > 0:10:55days the same. I will live you a summary at just look at what happens

0:10:55 > 0:11:01at the weekend. Things will get cold we are a cold easterly