BBCNEWS — The Context
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[00:00:07] MUSIC
[00:00:13] Hello, I'm Martine Croxall.
[00:00:14] This is the context on BBC News. News. Ukraine's President Zelensky
[00:00:18] Zelensky says Russia hit a power power plant in Ukraine immediately
[00:00:21] immediately after Donald Trump claimed claimed both sides had agreed to
[00:00:24] to an energy ceasefire. Saudi Arabia Arabia threatens what it calls a
[00:00:28] a serious response to deadly Houthi Houthi attacks on Riyadh's international
[00:00:31] international airport. Flights remain remain suspended. The BBC reports
[00:00:35] reports from inside Yemen, where where the long running civil war
[00:00:38] war is escalating. We've been told told that there are Houthi fighters
[00:00:41] fighters in position up in the mountains.
[00:00:43] mountains. About 500 of them. And And since we've been here, the forces
[00:00:47] forces are keeping an eye on the the sky just to make sure that there
[00:00:50] there are no more drones coming. coming. The UK Prime Minister, Andy Andy Burnham, says he'll push for
[00:00:54] for new post-Brexit trade deals and and that the status quo isn't good
[00:00:57] good enough for Britain. A major major cyber attack has caused hundreds
[00:01:00] hundreds of supermarket fridges and and freezers to malfunction in France,
[00:01:03] France, with millions of pounds worth
[00:01:05] worth of food lost after temperatures
[00:01:08] temperatures rose to 50 Celsius.
[00:01:19] Russia's foreign minister says Ukraine doesn't deserve any respite.
[00:01:23] respite. Just a day after President President Trump announced that Ukraine Ukraine and Russia had agreed to
[00:01:27] to stop attacking each other's energy energy infrastructure, Ukraine's Ukraine's President Zelensky, who
[00:01:31] who said that he would support a
[00:01:33] a ceasefire, accused Russia of attacking attacking six energy facilities less
[00:01:37] less than 24 hours after it was announced. announced. He's called on Donald
[00:01:39] Donald Trump to put increased pressure pressure on Vladimir Putin after
[00:01:42] after more than four years of war.
[00:01:44] war. Dan Johnson reports from Kyiv.
[00:01:49] Kyiv. This is the soundtrack to Ukraine's
[00:01:51] Ukraine's energy crisis and the power
[00:01:54] power cuts continue despite Donald
[00:01:56] Donald Trump's ceasefire announcement.
[00:02:00] announcement. We must adapt, Natalia Natalia says. Putin is a scoundrel.
[00:02:03] scoundrel. He doesn't want peace.
[00:02:07] peace. At least businesses have a a way of keeping the lights on. Many
[00:02:10] Many of the residents here aren't aren't so fortunate. They don't have have the option of generators. And
[00:02:15] And if you're living in a tower block
[00:02:16] block like that, when the lift stops
[00:02:19] stops working, that's 16 flights
[00:02:21] flights of stairs. And many are having
[00:02:24] having to store water ready for the
[00:02:26] the next outage when the pumps stop.
[00:02:30] stop. Olga has lived through 81 winters
[00:02:33] winters but wasn't relishing another.
[00:02:37] another. Trump should hurry up and and put Putin in his place instead
[00:02:40] instead of pretending to be friends friends with him. All those phone
[00:02:43] phone calls between them. He should should come here to Ukraine and see
[00:02:47] see our homes, see how badly they've
[00:02:50] they've been destroyed. This started started with Donald Trump's deal
[00:02:53] deal to lift restrictions on Russian Russian diesel, a betrayal in Ukrainian
[00:02:57] Ukrainian eyes. The ceasefire came came as a surprise to Ukraine's president,
[00:03:00] president, who said he'd sign up
[00:03:02] up but claims Russia's hit six more
[00:03:05] more energy facilities. It was clear
[00:03:08] clear that Putin does not read Truth
[00:03:12] Truth Social. Russia is trying to
[00:03:15] to use another winter, another period
[00:03:17] period of cold weather against our
[00:03:19] our country taking our power plants,
[00:03:22] plants, power grids and all parts
[00:03:26] parts of our energy infrastructure
[00:03:28] infrastructure every single day.
[00:03:33] day. Russia's first response was was this a strike on a Kharkiv suburb
[00:03:37] suburb people there think was destined
[00:03:39] destined for its power station. We'd
[00:03:42] We'd already seen the statement that that they wouldn't target energy
[00:03:46] energy facilities, and we really really believed it. Ten minutes had had passed and there had already
[00:03:50] already been five strikes. My child child and I saw a missile hit thermal
[00:03:53] thermal power plant number five and
[00:03:55] and watched it burn there. It's horrific.
[00:03:58] horrific. The Kremlin's only comment
[00:04:00] comment has been about Zelensky.
[00:04:03] Zelensky. I do not think he deserves deserves a respite. I don't think
[00:04:07] think we'll be buying into assurances
[00:04:09] assurances and promises again. So
[00:04:12] So many Kyiv streets remain in darkness
[00:04:15] darkness and Ukrainians are under
[00:04:17] under no illusions. Russia's war
[00:04:19] war continues. Dan Johnson, BBC News
[00:04:21] News in Kyiv. John Herbst is a former
[00:04:25] former US ambassador to Ukraine, Ukraine, now senior director at the
[00:04:28] the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Centre, Centre, and joins us now. Ambassador,
[00:04:32] Ambassador, welcome. What was Donald Donald Trump doing by saying that
[00:04:35] that this cease fire regarding the
[00:04:38] the energy infrastructure was imminent
[00:04:40] imminent was immediately effective, effective, and neither side knew
[00:04:44] knew about it. I'm going to offer
[00:04:46] offer you a heterodox view in answer
[00:04:48] answer to that question. We know know what happened at the end of
[00:04:51] of last week when Trump made this this diesel deal with the Russians.
[00:04:55] Russians. We know the sharp criticism criticism from Zelensky, which on
[00:04:59] on the merits was accurate, substantively substantively was accurate. But we
[00:05:02] we also know President Trump has has a thin skin. So he reacted very
[00:05:05] very sharply and attacked Zelensky Zelensky on Saturday and said Ukraine
[00:05:08] Ukraine needs a new president. That That was not a good look. Trump was
[00:05:12] was defending himself even though though defending a policy which was
[00:05:15] was probably a bad policy, including
[00:05:17] including for the United States.
[00:05:20] States. And then he announced on on Sunday that he had a peace excuse
[00:05:23] excuse me. A ceasefire deal worked worked out on energy strikes with
[00:05:27] with Russia and Ukraine that changed changed the subject from his anger
[00:05:30] anger at Zelensky in a more appropriate appropriate direction, even though
[00:05:33] though I don't think he ever had had that cease fire and Russian activity
[00:05:37] activity proved it. You know, hours hours after he made that announcement
[00:05:40] announcement when they struck Ukrainian Ukrainian energy targets. But no
[00:05:42] no longer sorry. In addition to his his thin skin, as you describe it,
[00:05:46] it, surely he needs a ceasefire himself himself so that Russia can produce
[00:05:50] produce the diesel that he needs
[00:05:51] needs to buy? Well, I look, Trump
[00:05:54] Trump has tried to achieve numerous numerous cease fires since he came
[00:05:57] came back to the White House, and and Zelensky has said yes to every
[00:06:00] every Trump proposal. And Putin has has rejected, albeit not never by
[00:06:04] by saying he rejects it by just rejecting rejecting it every proposal. So the
[00:06:07] the problem of ending the war is is Russian aggression. And you're
[00:06:11] you're right, Trump does need an an end to this. But in order to achieve achieve that, he has to put pressure
[00:06:14] pressure on Putin. And while he's he's done that a couple of times,
[00:06:18] times, he's been reluctant to push push even harder. To what extent
[00:06:22] extent is the answer to Ukraine lying
[00:06:25] lying in Iran? Well, it's clear that
[00:06:28] that the problem in the oil markets markets comes from the war in the
[00:06:32] the Gulf. And President Trump does does not want to talk about that.
[00:06:35] that. So he's looking for another another explanation for the high
[00:06:38] high price of diesel in the United United States. And but that answer,
[00:06:41] answer, the reason why you have high high diesel prices is the war in
[00:06:44] in Iran, not Russia's war on Ukraine Ukraine and Ukraine's legitimate
[00:06:48] legitimate defence against Russian
[00:06:49] Russian aggression. To what extent
[00:06:52] extent are US relations with European European allies being affected by
[00:06:55] by this? Well, what we've seen now
[00:06:59] now is not the first time that Trump
[00:07:02] Trump has unfairly slammed Zelensky.
[00:07:05] Zelensky. So this is not not new.
[00:07:07] new. And we know that following such
[00:07:11] such a fuss, Trump then moves back back and I'd say a better direction.
[00:07:15] direction. And he may have started started to do that yesterday, but
[00:07:18] but the Europeans have seen this this pattern and obviously they've
[00:07:20] they've had to step in as Trump in in some ways has reduced American
[00:07:24] American support for Ukraine. But But the Trump administration still
[00:07:27] still continues. This is extremely
[00:07:30] extremely important to give military military intelligence to Ukraine. Ukraine. And the Trump administration
[00:07:34] administration still sends weapons weapons to Europe to pass on to Ukraine, Ukraine, albeit the Europeans have
[00:07:38] have to pay for those weapons. John
[00:07:41] John Herbst former US ambassador ambassador to Ukraine, now with the the Atlantic Council. Thank you very
[00:07:45] very much. Thanks for talking to
[00:07:47] to us. Yemen's Houthi rebels have have renewed their attacks against
[00:07:51] against Saudi Arabia, firing more more drones and missiles into the
[00:07:54] the country. It comes after two deadly deadly strikes on Riyadh's main international
[00:07:58] international airport in as many many days. On Saturday, 13 people
[00:08:01] people were killed and hundreds wounded
[00:08:03] wounded in an attack on King Khalid Khalid International Airport. Another
[00:08:07] Another strike on the airport on
[00:08:09] on Sunday left one person dead and and 11 injured. The Iranian backed
[00:08:13] backed Houthis say they're targeting targeting Saudi Arabia because of
[00:08:15] of its support for government forces
[00:08:17] forces in Yemen's civil war. In recent
[00:08:20] recent weeks, the Houthi rebels have have advanced along the coast, capturing
[00:08:23] capturing towns and cities and threatening threatening the critical Bab al-Mandab
[00:08:27] al-Mandab Strait. The civil war in in Yemen first began in 2014, when
[00:08:31] when Iranian backed Houthi fighters fighters gained control of the capital
[00:08:35] capital Sanaa. Since 2015, a Saudi
[00:08:37] Saudi led coalition has been trying trying with heavy air strikes to
[00:08:41] to restore the internationally recognised
[00:08:42] recognised government to power. Our
[00:08:45] Our senior international correspondent correspondent Orla Guerin reports
[00:08:47] reports from Yemen's west coast.
[00:08:52] coast. Crossing the desert, a remote
[00:08:54] remote battlefield in a civil war
[00:08:56] war that is fast becoming a major
[00:08:59] major regional threat. We travelled
[00:09:01] travelled with Yemen's southern forces
[00:09:04] forces fighters loyal to the internationally
[00:09:07] internationally recognised government. government. In this landscape of
[00:09:10] of harsh beauty. They have regained
[00:09:13] regained lost ground and took us
[00:09:14] us to see it here. The wreckage of
[00:09:18] of a Houthi drone shot out of the
[00:09:21] the sky. How much damage could this
[00:09:24] this have done? Commander Tawfik
[00:09:26] Tawfik Al Haugen says it contained
[00:09:29] contained explosives. And could kill
[00:09:33] kill 10 to 15 people. This whole
[00:09:37] whole area has just been retaken retaken by pro-government forces.
[00:09:41] forces. They captured it about three
[00:09:44] three days ago. Until then, the Houthis Houthis were in control here. They've
[00:09:48] They've been pushed back. And we've we've been told that there are Houthi
[00:09:52] Houthi fighters in position up in in the mountains. About 500 of them.
[00:09:55] them. And since we've been here, here, the forces are keeping an eye
[00:09:58] eye on the sky just to make sure
[00:10:00] sure that there are no more drones
[00:10:03] drones coming. And hear scenes from
[00:10:06] from the battle to retake this territory.
[00:10:11] territory. No military precision
[00:10:13] precision in this desert campaign.
[00:10:15] campaign. Just a loose alliance of of pro-government fighters, some
[00:10:19] some of them barefoot. As we left
[00:10:25] left front lines about a mile from
[00:10:28] from the Houthis government reinforcements
[00:10:30] reinforcements were heading in. Along
[00:10:34] Along the way, a tableau of suffering
[00:10:38] suffering for some of those who have
[00:10:40] have fled the fighting. The only
[00:10:42] only shelter is the trees. Aisha
[00:10:45] Aisha tells me she has been here
[00:10:47] here for 30 days with no money, no
[00:10:51] no food and no water. Not even a
[00:10:54] a blanket. Yemen's civil war is casting
[00:10:57] casting a shadow well beyond its
[00:11:00] its borders. The Houthis are a threat threat to international shipping
[00:11:04] shipping and increasingly a threat
[00:11:06] threat to Saudi Arabia. But for their
[00:11:09] their backers in Iran, they provide
[00:11:13] provide leverage in operating rooms
[00:11:14] rooms in the city of Aden. Geopolitics
[00:11:18] Geopolitics feels remote night and
[00:11:19] and day. Doctors are treating wounded
[00:11:23] wounded fighters. That includes the
[00:11:25] the enemy. This man is a Houthi.
[00:11:28] Houthi. But most here are from the
[00:11:31] the government side. When you get get a real sense here of how fierce
[00:11:35] fierce the fighting is, this hospital
[00:11:38] hospital alone has received 51 wounded
[00:11:41] wounded fighters today. Every bed bed in the intensive care unit is
[00:11:45] is full. They've been arriving with
[00:11:46] with gunshot wounds with shrapnel.
[00:11:49] shrapnel. Some have had limbs amputated. amputated. And the casualties keep
[00:11:52] keep coming. We've been told there
[00:11:54] there are three more on the way.
[00:11:58] way. The battles in Yemen are ebbing
[00:12:00] ebbing and flowing with no clear
[00:12:03] clear victor, but plenty more trauma.
[00:12:06] trauma. For some, the war will always
[00:12:08] always be with them. Some still have
[00:12:12] have their fighting spirit. Like Like Ahmed Ali Mahmoud. He wants
[00:12:16] wants to get back to the front despite
[00:12:19] despite multiple fractures. I'm not
[00:12:25] not waiting to be fully recovered, recovered, he told us. I just want
[00:12:28] want to be able to stand. I think
[00:12:31] think it's a religious duty and a
[00:12:32] a national duty. The Houthis have
[00:12:35] have destroyed the country. In the
[00:12:39] the next ward, Ali, who is 121 year
[00:12:42] year older than Yemen's war. He was
[00:12:45] was injured by a drone and is now
[00:12:48] now facing a complicated surgery.
[00:12:51] surgery. There is shrapnel near his
[00:12:53] his spine, says Doctor Amr Al-sakkaf.
[00:12:56] Al-sakkaf. The operation won't be be easy, but God willing, our staff
[00:12:59] staff will be able to handle it.
[00:13:03] it. But will war follow Ali into
[00:13:05] into adulthood? Orla Guerin BBC News
[00:13:09] News Southern Yemen. Danny Aeberhard
[00:13:14] Aeberhard is executive director of of the Gulf International Forum and
[00:13:17] and she joins us now from Doha. Danya,
[00:13:19] Danya, thank you very much for joining
[00:13:21] joining us. How has this conflict
[00:13:24] conflict between Saudi Arabia and
[00:13:26] and Yemen and Iran, of course, changed
[00:13:29] changed to give us what we're seeing
[00:13:32] seeing now? Well, right now we are
[00:13:34] are in a state of escalation and
[00:13:38] and we're seeing the possibility
[00:13:41] possibility of conflagration of a
[00:13:44] a regional conflict ensuing. Should
[00:13:47] Should this escalate further? But
[00:13:49] But what we're also witnessing is
[00:13:52] is the re-emergence of a longstanding
[00:13:56] longstanding conflict between the
[00:13:58] the Houthis and the Saudis. And it
[00:14:01] it seems as in the second iteration
[00:14:04] iteration of this war, that the Houthis
[00:14:07] Houthis have gained a lot more intelligence.
[00:14:11] intelligence. And some sort of capabilities
[00:14:13] capabilities to be able to attack
[00:14:16] attack more accurately in Saudi Arabia.
[00:14:19] Arabia. And I think that's where
[00:14:20] where you're seeing more concern
[00:14:23] concern from the Saudi perspective.
[00:14:26] perspective. Also right now, you you see the Iranians are trying to
[00:14:29] to get involved and trying to mediate.
[00:14:32] mediate. And I think that's because, because, as you rightly outlined
[00:14:36] outlined in, in the prelude to this
[00:14:40] this discussion that the government
[00:14:42] government forces in some parts are
[00:14:44] are taking a bit more control at
[00:14:46] at the battlefield. And I think that
[00:14:50] that the Iranians want to make sure
[00:14:52] sure to crystallise the gains and
[00:14:55] and consolidate them for the Houthis Houthis because the Houthis are an
[00:14:59] an important leverage for Iran in
[00:15:02] in the. The grand scheme of this
[00:15:05] this larger war between Iran, the
[00:15:08] the US and Israel. I've heard a number
[00:15:11] number of analysts saying today that that there is no military solution
[00:15:14] solution to this. So how likely is
[00:15:17] is a diplomatic solution or at least
[00:15:19] least a diplomatic route to de-escalation?
[00:15:24] de-escalation? Well, obviously the the ideal approach to any conflict
[00:15:27] conflict is a diplomatic solution. solution. And, you know, that could
[00:15:30] could be the end game and should should be the end game. I do think
[00:15:34] think that the Houthis are making
[00:15:36] making it very difficult by escalating
[00:15:38] escalating in their attacks and causing
[00:15:40] causing this degree of casualties.
[00:15:44] casualties. You know, just to frame
[00:15:47] frame this, the death toll from the the Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia
[00:15:51] Arabia is the most in recent history
[00:15:53] history that Saudi Arabia experienced. experienced. So I think most likely
[00:15:57] likely the Saudis would like to establish
[00:15:59] establish a degree of deterrence
[00:16:02] deterrence before going to the negotiation
[00:16:04] negotiation table. But of course,
[00:16:06] course, the negotiation route is
[00:16:08] is the best way moving forward. I
[00:16:11] I think for all parties. And of course
[00:16:14] course region wide de-escalation. de-escalation. Danny Aeberhard from from the Gulf International Forum
[00:16:18] Forum in Doha, thank you very much much for talking to us. Thank you
[00:16:22] you for having me. Much more on that that story. Of course, the BBC News
[00:16:26] News website. And still to come, come, Prime Minister Andy Burnham Burnham has set out plans for more
[00:16:30] more post-Brexit deals with the EU EU and given more detail on Iran's
[00:16:34] Iran's potential involvement in the
[00:16:36] the incident at RAF Fairford. Well,
[00:16:39] Well, it's been an eventful day in in UK politics and we'll go through
[00:16:41] through all of that on the political political context next with Nick
[00:16:45] Nick Ward. Around political context Nick Ward. Around the world and across
[00:16:48] across the
[00:17:50] Security Brief live with an audience
[00:17:50] audience here on BBC News. MUSIC
[00:18:04] Now it's time for the political
[00:18:06] context with BBC Newsnight's political political editor Nick Watt, who's
[00:18:10] who's here in the studio. You know know you've arrived when they give give you your own titles, don't you?
[00:18:14] you? And we're going to begin with with the Prime Minister setting out
[00:18:17] out more detail about how he wants
[00:18:19] wants to have closer ties post-Brexit post-Brexit with the European Union.
[00:18:22] Union. That's right. Look, we know know Andy Burnham is always strongly
[00:18:24] strongly in favour of Britain's membership membership of the European Union.
[00:18:27] Union. I remember interviewing him him two weeks before the referendum
[00:18:30] referendum way back in 2016, and and he said he feared it was going
[00:18:34] going to be a leave vote and he thought thought that was wrong. Although Although he was highly respected,
[00:18:37] respected, of people, respectful respectful of people who were planning planning then to vote leave because
[00:18:41] because he was MP then for Lee, which which turned out to be quite a heavy heavy leave area when he stood again
[00:18:45] again in the by election in Makerfield, Makerfield, which has similar boundaries
[00:18:48] boundaries to his old seat, very very high leave vote. Andy Burnham
[00:18:51] Burnham was very, very cautious on on the EU but now he's Prime Minister.
[00:18:55] Minister. He believes it's in the the UK's vital economic interests
[00:18:59] interests to move much closer to
[00:19:01] to the EU. So he named the date of of a big summit that he's going to
[00:19:04] to be having with the EU in Brussels Brussels on the 20th of November.
[00:19:07] November. And he set out his stall. stall. But you know what? This issue
[00:19:11] issue still divides this country. country. So why don't we listen to to the Prime Minister and then listen
[00:19:15] listen to Kemi Badenoch? Let's do
[00:19:16] do it. This summit presents an opportunity
[00:19:21] opportunity to make progress on two
[00:19:23] two crucial issues boosting UK growth
[00:19:28] growth and controlling illegal immigration.
[00:19:31] immigration. On the table is a trade
[00:19:34] trade deal on food and drink products,
[00:19:37] products, a deal on emissions trading.
[00:19:40] trading. Progress towards linking linking our energy systems. A new
[00:19:44] new youth experience scheme and deeper
[00:19:47] deeper co-operation on immigration. immigration. He is not going to get
[00:19:50] get a better deal. The EU are tough
[00:19:54] tough negotiators. And Mr Speaker, Speaker, it is not just that the
[00:19:57] the EU are tough negotiators. He
[00:19:59] He has already revealed his entire
[00:20:01] entire negotiating hand. He has just just blurted out everything he wants
[00:20:05] wants in this statement and I will will tell you. Tell him now, Mr Speaker,
[00:20:08] Speaker, as a former Trade Secretary, Secretary, this is not how you conduct
[00:20:12] conduct negotiations. Andy Burnham Burnham also kicked off a bit of
[00:20:16] of a debate about Russian interference
[00:20:19] interference in the Brexit referendum. referendum. Did it happen? To what what extent? What would it have changed?
[00:20:23] changed? Yes. So one of the sort sort of the big bugbears for some
[00:20:27] some supporters of remain is that that they believe that there was
[00:20:30] was Russian interference in that
[00:20:32] that Brexit representative referendum
[00:20:34] referendum in 2016. This has been been looked into. The thinking was
[00:20:38] was that there was involvement, but but it wasn't necessarily highly
[00:20:40] highly successful. So Andy Burnham Burnham did an interview with the
[00:20:43] the rest of politics last week, and
[00:20:46] and he absolutely went into this this head on. Let's listen to what what he had to say. I don't think
[00:20:50] think we knew back then the extent
[00:20:52] extent to which there was state sponsored
[00:20:56] sponsored interference in the British British democratic process. But I
[00:20:59] I asked the question coming into
[00:21:00] into Downing Street, was there interference
[00:21:04] interference in the 2016 referendum referendum from Russia? And I've I've had the clear answer that yes,
[00:21:07] yes, there was. So Andy Burnham, Burnham, after that interview with
[00:21:10] with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, Stewart, knew that he'd be facing
[00:21:13] facing MPs today. And he slightly slightly changed tack. Well, listen
[00:21:17] listen to hear what he had to say say in a second. But the key thing
[00:21:20] thing is, is the position seems to to be. And this was explained by
[00:21:23] by Stephen Doughty, the Foreign Office Office minister, that there was Russian
[00:21:27] Russian interference in that referendum, referendum, but that it was not successful.
[00:21:31] successful. Let's listen to the very very careful clarification by the
[00:21:34] the Prime Minister this afternoon.
[00:21:36] afternoon. It is a matter of record, record, Mr Speaker, that Russian
[00:21:40] Russian actors sought to interfere
[00:21:44] interfere in the 2019 general election,
[00:21:45] election, and we think it is inconceivable
[00:21:49] inconceivable that this was the first
[00:21:50] first time. Also then turn to the
[00:21:54] the incident at RAF Fairford last last month. What is the government
[00:21:57] government saying further about potential potential involvement by Iran in
[00:22:00] in this? Well, the government did
[00:22:02] did go further today. So at the Labour Labour Party conference, Andy Burnham
[00:22:06] Burnham told our colleague Chris Chris Mason that he was absolutely
[00:22:09] absolutely sure that there was Iranian Iranian state involvement. But what
[00:22:12] what we had today from the Prime Prime Minister in that statement
[00:22:16] statement was the UK belief that that the IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary
[00:22:20] Revolutionary Guard Corps, were involved. involved. And then Shabana Mahmood,
[00:22:22] Mahmood, we're going to talk about about her statement for a bit. Shabana
[00:22:26] Shabana Mahmood then gave some pretty pretty serious details. So she said
[00:22:29] said the Home Secretary that it's
[00:22:30] it's highly likely to have been co-ordinated
[00:22:33] co-ordinated by a known individual individual based in Iran and almost
[00:22:36] almost certainly directed by Iran's Iran's IRGC. And then she talked
[00:22:40] talked about how today the Foreign Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, summoned
[00:22:43] summoned the Iranian ambassador, ambassador, condemning Iranian involvement
[00:22:47] involvement in UK safety. And then then the Home Secretary said we're
[00:22:49] we're also sanctioning two individuals
[00:22:52] individuals involved in conducting conducting espionage and attacks
[00:22:55] attacks on behalf of the government government of Iran in Europe and
[00:22:58] and the US, and also the Home Secretary
[00:23:00] Secretary saying Iran is using proxies
[00:23:02] proxies on our soil. You mentioned mentioned the Home Secretary, Nick.
[00:23:05] Nick. She said that made an announcement
[00:23:08] announcement today looking at assessing
[00:23:11] assessing security measures for politicians.
[00:23:13] politicians. Yes. And the Home Secretary
[00:23:16] Secretary opened her statement by by talking about the horrific and
[00:23:20] and desperate tragedy of the killing
[00:23:22] killing of Ann Widdecombe three months
[00:23:24] months ago and what the Home Secretary Secretary said is that on the 2nd
[00:23:28] 2nd of October, the suspect was charged charged with terrorism, terrorism
[00:23:31] terrorism offences including preparing preparing an act of terror against
[00:23:34] against Nigel Farage. And so the the Home Secretary then said that
[00:23:37] that she believes that there's insufficient insufficient protection for those
[00:23:40] those who serve. So she says with
[00:23:43] with immediate effect, there will will be greater police support for
[00:23:46] for political figures who are not not currently Members of Parliament,
[00:23:49] Parliament, peers and things like like that, and ex-members of Parliament.
[00:23:53] Parliament. But then the Home Secretary Secretary said that Sir Stephen Ludgrove,
[00:23:56] Ludgrove, who's the former national national security adviser, is going
[00:23:58] going to conduct a review to review
[00:24:01] review the protective security provided provided by the state to those in
[00:24:05] in public life. So that is a much
[00:24:08] much broader definition because currently currently the security, when it's
[00:24:11] it's armed security is done by this this body called ravec. And the criticism
[00:24:14] criticism is that that is too limited. limited. This looks like this is
[00:24:18] is potentially going to widen the the number of people who might be
[00:24:21] be included. Are we going to hear
[00:24:25] hear from her? It is clear there there is insufficient protection
[00:24:29] protection for those who serve. I I can therefore announce today that
[00:24:32] that I will expand with immediate immediate effect police support to
[00:24:36] to political figures who are not not currently Members of Parliament.
[00:24:40] Parliament. This will include former
[00:24:42] former Members of Parliament, peers peers and party spokespeople giving
[00:24:45] giving them access to a named police
[00:24:48] police officer as well as help with with wider security measures. It's
[00:24:52] It's a very worrying time, isn't isn't it? If you're a politician
[00:24:54] politician and you hear that this this is necessary, in one sense you'll
[00:24:57] you'll be relieved that there's going going to be an assessment, but it's
[00:25:00] it's a sign of the times that we're
[00:25:03] we're in that it's necessary. Yeah.
[00:25:05] Yeah. And the whole tone of the Home
[00:25:08] Home Secretary was clearly expressing expressing very, very deep concerns
[00:25:11] concerns about the threat to people people in public life because the
[00:25:14] the current system, as I was saying,
[00:25:18] saying, that's basically the diplomatic diplomatic and Royal Protection Corps. Corps. There are certain people,
[00:25:21] people, by dint of their position position the Prime Minister, the the Home Secretary, the Foreign Secretary
[00:25:24] Secretary who get those armed close close protection officers. Then there
[00:25:28] there are some people who get it it on the basis of a threat assessment.
[00:25:31] assessment. But the criticism is is that it hasn't gone wide enough. enough. And Nigel Farage was saying
[00:25:35] saying that the security provided provided for him by the state and
[00:25:37] and there was some security didn't didn't go far enough, which is why
[00:25:41] why he says he has to pay for his
[00:25:43] his own security. Obviously if you you have security outside the parameters
[00:25:47] parameters of the state, then they're they're not armed. So clearly the
[00:25:49] the Home Secretary is really worried. worried. Hence this review. Nick,
[00:25:52] Nick, thank you very much. Nick Watt
[00:25:55] Watt from BBC Newsnight. And you you can watch BBC Newsnight in just
[00:25:58] just under an hour's time here on
[00:26:00] on the BBC News channel.
[00:29:38] security. Brief live with an audience
[00:29:39] audience here on BBC News. Here at
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