:00:11. > :00:14.George Osborne said today his job will be to speak up
:00:15. > :00:17.But he'll be doing that while he's still a Cheshire MP.
:00:18. > :00:20.He's been appointed editor of the London Evening Standard -
:00:21. > :00:22.and is sure he can do that and represent his Tatton
:00:23. > :00:33.George Osborne has been the MP here for 16 years.
:00:34. > :00:37.In 2015, his majority was more than 18,000.
:00:38. > :00:40.Among voters today, these opinions on their Cheshire MP becoming
:00:41. > :00:47.I don't think very much of it, to be quite honest.
:00:48. > :00:53.Are you not worried he won't have time for constituency matters?
:00:54. > :00:58.Most people can work from home now anyway.
:00:59. > :01:04.Mr Osborne says he can do both jobs, editing in the morning and attending
:01:05. > :01:10.MPs have edited newspapers and magazines over the years.
:01:11. > :01:13.I'm going to continue playing a big part in British life and I'm
:01:14. > :01:18.Although he's no longer in government, Mr Osborne's new job
:01:19. > :01:21.in London has raised questions about his commitment to the idea
:01:22. > :01:27.The president of the local Conservative Association,
:01:28. > :01:29.Patti Goddard, says she's not worried that the job
:01:30. > :01:35.After all, she says, being Chancellor of
:01:36. > :01:42.Mr Osborne was Chancellor and First Secretary of State before
:01:43. > :01:49.He has rather less experience as a journalist.
:01:50. > :01:53.The local Labour chair says he should now quit as an MP.
:01:54. > :01:55.I don't believe he will devote enough time and energy
:01:56. > :02:00.I believe that if he is intent on taking this role as editor,
:02:01. > :02:04.then he should step aside and let somebody else take on the role
:02:05. > :02:15.Mr Osborne is due to start his editor's job in May.
:02:16. > :02:19.Hundreds of parents worried their schools face big spending cuts
:02:20. > :02:22.are preparing to take part in a protest in Cheshire tomorrow.
:02:23. > :02:24.They're angry the Government's proposed new funding formula
:02:25. > :02:28.would reduce spending per pupil in Cheshire East to just
:02:29. > :02:32.under ?4200, among the lowest in the country.
:02:33. > :02:36.Other parts of the North West would gain, particularly Knowsley,
:02:37. > :02:39.where spending per pupil will go up to just over ?5000.
:02:40. > :02:45.Ask headteachers here in Cheshire East and they'll tell
:02:46. > :02:50.you the area is one of the lowest funded when it comes to education.
:02:51. > :02:55.And for schools such as Stapeley Broad Lane in Nantwich,
:02:56. > :02:57.the government's plans to change the way it is funded
:02:58. > :03:01.We'd be forced to look at cutting some of the things that children
:03:02. > :03:08.The trips, the visits, the art, the music.
:03:09. > :03:10.Under the proposed national funding formula, schools will get
:03:11. > :03:16.And then extra funding based on factors such as deprivation,
:03:17. > :03:20.whether the school has children with special educational needs,
:03:21. > :03:24.and other factors such as previous exam results.
:03:25. > :03:28.In Barrow, there are some significant areas of deprivation.
:03:29. > :03:32.The government's aim is to narrow the gap between schools in affluent
:03:33. > :03:36.areas and those in deprived areas, and allocate funding on pupil needs
:03:37. > :03:44.Saying that some schools will benefit - I've yet to meet
:03:45. > :03:50.a headteacher or see a school that's going to benefit in real terms.
:03:51. > :03:53.Independent research out today found the drops equate to two teachers
:03:54. > :03:56.for a primary school and six teachers for a secondary school.
:03:57. > :03:59.Although it also found that in the north-west,
:04:00. > :04:04.around 41% of schools will benefit from the new funding formula.
:04:05. > :04:07.Heads from Cheshire East primary and secondary heads have been
:04:08. > :04:12.to meet the minister, and heads in Cheshire West
:04:13. > :04:15.and Chester, so they are definitely listening.
:04:16. > :04:19.Last month, 400 people staged a protest in Cheshire,
:04:20. > :04:26.Parents are really angry and they are concerned about this.
:04:27. > :04:30.There's nothing more important than your child's education.
:04:31. > :04:33.The Department for Education says school funding is at its highest
:04:34. > :04:36.level on record, and the aim of the consultation -
:04:37. > :04:46.which ends next week - is to make sure they get it right.
:04:47. > :04:47.Road safety campaigners have criticised Gary Neville,
:04:48. > :04:49.after footage was published by the Daily Mirror -
:04:50. > :04:54.apparently showing him holding his mobile phone while driving.
:04:55. > :04:56.The paper claims the pictures were taken on the M60.
:04:57. > :05:01.The number of points and fines recently doubled for calling
:05:02. > :05:06.The former United star has declined to comment.
:05:07. > :05:09.Two Greater Manchester community police officers have been jailed,
:05:10. > :05:11.after framing an innocent man for attempted murder.
:05:12. > :05:14.Thomas Fendall and Jessica Hussell - who were in a relationship -
:05:15. > :05:16.had a personal grievance against the victim and provided
:05:17. > :05:22.Hundreds of people lined the streets of Liverpool city centre
:05:23. > :05:24.for the St Patrick's Day parade this afternoon.
:05:25. > :05:27.It was brought back last year - after being cancelled in the 1960s
:05:28. > :05:31.because of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
:05:32. > :05:34.Sport - and Manchester United are off to Belgium after drawing
:05:35. > :05:36.Anderlecht in the quarterfinals of the Europa League.
:05:37. > :05:40.The away leg is up first on the 13th April, with the return a week later.
:05:41. > :05:42.Jose Mourinho's side reached the last eight after Juan Mata's
:05:43. > :05:45.goal secured a 1-0 win over Russian side Rostov last night,
:05:46. > :05:54.No success for Widnes Vikings in Rugby League, who've
:05:55. > :05:57.continued their poor run of form in the Super League tonight,
:05:58. > :06:05.Have a very good rest of the evening.
:06:06. > :06:13.The rain is causing some problems tonight?
:06:14. > :06:20.It is. Good evening. The weekend is not looking particularly bright.
:06:21. > :06:26.There's going to be unsettled weather over the weekend, breezy,
:06:27. > :06:28.cloudy and plenty of rain, and as you alluded to, there's been a lot
:06:29. > :06:32.of rain through this afternoon and into this evening. We currently have
:06:33. > :06:37.two flood warnings from the Environment Agency. Also four flood
:06:38. > :06:43.words. There's the number if you are at all concerned about localised
:06:44. > :06:46.flooding. Through this evening and through the overnight period, I'm
:06:47. > :06:51.afraid the rain continues to pour in. A cloudy night with a stiff
:06:52. > :06:58.westerly breeze. Mild, temperatures could drop as high as nine or 10
:06:59. > :07:03.Celsius. Very mild indeed. Tomorrow morning, we start off cloudy. The
:07:04. > :07:07.rain slowly eases away for a time. Quite a breezy afternoon. Then we
:07:08. > :07:11.will see the second wave of rain pushing in through the afternoon.
:07:12. > :07:14.Maybe breaking off to bring you some showers. We hang on to the cloud and
:07:15. > :07:22.to the breeze. Temperatures not looking so bad. A mild afternoon, 13
:07:23. > :07:26.Celsius tomorrow. Rain will continue tomorrow. We will see more rain
:07:27. > :07:31.actually into Sunday and the outlook on Monday, dryer and cooler. Now the
:07:32. > :07:32.National forecast. it is rather breezy. Now for the
:07:33. > :07:44.national outlook. It was quite a wet day across many
:07:45. > :07:45.northern and western parts of the UK. This was