:00:00. > :00:13.First tonight, the Defence Secretary was in Stevenage today announcing
:00:14. > :00:16.half a billion pounds of spending on new missile systems
:00:17. > :00:20.It will secure 130 jobs in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire
:00:21. > :00:27.and safeguard hundreds more in the supply chain.
:00:28. > :00:30.The town is high on the list of Labour target seats.
:00:31. > :00:36.It's been a week of big political announcements and speeches.
:00:37. > :00:40.Today, the turn of the Defence Secretary here in Stevenage.
:00:41. > :00:45.A ?539 million investment in new missile systems.
:00:46. > :00:50.You are playing your part in helping the Royal Navy
:00:51. > :00:58.The first, the state-of-the-art Meteor missile, seen here,
:00:59. > :01:03.which will be used by both the Royal Air Force and the Navy.
:01:04. > :01:06.The common anti-air module missile, or CAMM -
:01:07. > :01:13.And ?175 million Sea Viper weapons systems.
:01:14. > :01:17.It's aimed to protect Royal Navy destroyers.
:01:18. > :01:19.Three days after a general election was called,
:01:20. > :01:23.I've been told today's briefing brought forward several weeks.
:01:24. > :01:34.Well this is half a billion pounds' worth, ?537 million worth
:01:35. > :01:37.of investment in new missile systems to help keep the Royal Navy safe.
:01:38. > :01:39.This is investment in the Royal Navy, to keep the Navy
:01:40. > :01:42.safe as they keep us here at home safe.
:01:43. > :01:45.This is the Meteor, an air-to-air beyond visual range missile
:01:46. > :01:50.which will be fitted to F-35 stealth fighters like this one.
:01:51. > :01:55.MBDA say this deal will sustain more than 130 jobs, many of them
:01:56. > :02:00.Today, here in Stevenage, we have around 2,000 people out
:02:01. > :02:06.of 3,600 working at MBDA in the UK, so it is a significant moment
:02:07. > :02:12.to reinforce and keep those people employed for the future.
:02:13. > :02:16.The first of the new missiles will be in service as soon as next year.
:02:17. > :02:19.The Meteor eventually being used on F-35s based
:02:20. > :02:25.Britain's defence budget is the fifth-largest in the world.
:02:26. > :02:28.Contracts like these helping to secure this
:02:29. > :02:35.The Conservative MP for Northampton South is facing
:02:36. > :02:40.Some local members want to remove him, for his part
:02:41. > :02:42.in a Borough Council loan to the town's football club,
:02:43. > :02:45.which saw millions of pounds apparently disappear.
:02:46. > :02:51.David Mackintosh denies any wrongdoing.
:02:52. > :02:54.I've helped over 20,000 cases and seen many hundreds
:02:55. > :03:00.Outside Parliament, posted on the Internet, David
:03:01. > :03:03.Mackintosh proudly says what he has achieved.
:03:04. > :03:08.And in the Commons on Wednesday, wanting new
:03:09. > :03:12.roads in the region, wanting the Prime Minister's support
:03:13. > :03:17...and will the next Conservative Government continue to
:03:18. > :03:20.support me as the MP in backing the scheme?
:03:21. > :03:24.The Northampton MP fighting for his political future,
:03:25. > :03:26.members of his local party telling us
:03:27. > :03:31.campaigning in the council elections voters are critical of him.
:03:32. > :03:34.His name mentioned on the doorstep, following
:03:35. > :03:38.his role in the ?10.25 million loan to Northampton Town Football
:03:39. > :03:41.Club when he was leader of the borough council.
:03:42. > :03:44.Funds to develop the stadium, but work went unfinished
:03:45. > :03:50.What happened here being investigated by
:03:51. > :03:53.Northamptonshire Police, their inquiry looking
:03:54. > :03:58.The MP in the past telling BBC he welcomed the
:03:59. > :04:03.investigation and will co-operate fully.
:04:04. > :04:07.In Northampton today, David Mackintosh not seen with senior
:04:08. > :04:15.The Government fully aware of the political row bubbling here.
:04:16. > :04:18.It is always for the local party to decide
:04:19. > :04:21.So that's not something I should get involved in, it would be
:04:22. > :04:26.Mr Mackintosh, did you know about the source of the donations?
:04:27. > :04:29.David Mackintosh has repeatedly refused to answer our
:04:30. > :04:35.But in this shortest of statements he told us simply, "I
:04:36. > :04:43.The bakery firm Warburtons has announced it's planning
:04:44. > :04:45.to close its factory in Milton Keynes.
:04:46. > :04:48.More than 200 workers could lose their jobs.
:04:49. > :04:51.The Giles Bakery based on the Blakelands Industrial Site
:04:52. > :04:58.has been run by Warburtons since a take-over in 2013.
:04:59. > :05:01.300 children marched to the council offices in Milton Keynes today
:05:02. > :05:04.to demand improvements to the town's red ways.
:05:05. > :05:07.They say the network of footpaths are neglected,
:05:08. > :05:16.The redways are as much a feature of MK as its roundabouts,
:05:17. > :05:19.but there are concerns that this network of paths is in need
:05:20. > :05:23.of some TLC, so today these children set off along
:05:24. > :05:28.the redways to the council, to deliver a very clear message.
:05:29. > :05:32.We can actually change the redways so it will be safer, we will be
:05:33. > :05:37.able to go in there, and so people who are our age,
:05:38. > :05:40.like, seven and stuff, they will be safe to go
:05:41. > :05:45.As part of this project, all of the schools carried out
:05:46. > :05:48.a survey which found that 80% of their students actually used
:05:49. > :05:53.these redways, but it also found that 40% of them didn't feel
:05:54. > :05:57.En route, the children also took the opportunity to give
:05:58. > :06:02.before then meeting up with other schools to press
:06:03. > :06:07.And after these presentations, the verdict from the council -
:06:08. > :06:12.There are not asking for anything major, they are asking
:06:13. > :06:15.for a realistic set of 50 improvements we can make
:06:16. > :06:18.and that is things like filling in small potholes and changing light
:06:19. > :06:21.bulbs and cutting back shrubs and I think we can make
:06:22. > :06:26.The children say they will hold the council to that promise, and say
:06:27. > :06:29.they will also continue to do their bit to keep
:06:30. > :06:38.Time for the weather now - here's Julie with a look ahead
:06:39. > :06:42.to the weekend and the start of next week, and dare I say the s-word -
:06:43. > :06:56.It's in the night and we will see patchy rain spreading down from the
:06:57. > :07:00.north. With all the cloud it will be a frost free night with winds
:07:01. > :07:05.becoming light and variable. Tomorrow a few showers drifting from
:07:06. > :07:11.the Northwest but generally quite debt and dry, cloudy, but some
:07:12. > :07:16.sunshine. Highs around 12 Celsius or 54 Fahrenheit. On Sunday after a
:07:17. > :07:20.cold start it should be fine and dry with an isolated shower here and
:07:21. > :07:23.there. In a moment Helen will have the National forecast, but I'll
:07:24. > :07:27.leave you with the outlook. Monday has a cloudy start with a fuse box
:07:28. > :07:32.of rain and then sunshine and showers, but cold night on Monday,
:07:33. > :07:34.we could see temperatures below freezing. Tuesday has sunny spells,
:07:35. > :07:39.marathon. Here is the outlook for the weather for the next few days
:07:40. > :07:45.and Helen Willetts has the National forecast.
:07:46. > :07:55.While unusual to see snow in May, it will be a shock to the system. We've
:07:56. > :07:58.seen some interesting contrast. 19 degrees cost is in Scotland in the
:07:59. > :07:59.sunshine today. In the sunshine