alongside the brexit hubbub? there's been a few positive murmurings about that this week, from elsewhere in the eu, we'll discuss. and, as the us senate prepares to vote on the next potential supreme courtjustice, we'll reflect on what this ugly period might mean for the midterms, and the metoo movement. with me is the columnist for the i, here in the uk, yasmin alibhai—brown, the american writer and broadcaster jeffrey kofman, the specialist on middle eastern affairs rachel shabi, and thomas kielinger, for many years correspondent for germany's die welt. mamma mia, theresa may was widely considered to have given a good speech to the conservative party conference. she shimmied onto the stage to abba's dancing queen, making some self—effacing moves. she told delegates that the chequers brexit proposal is the only one possible. she also talked of an end to austerity, and an immigration policy that focuses on people's skills not their country of origin.

also this week, ireland's prime minister leo varadker said a deal could be done between the uk and eu within a fortnight, and the president of the commission jean claude juncker is now also making positive noises. yasmin, let's start with your reading of the conservative conference. widely regarded as a very strong performance. it was. it was very clever. she kind of demolished the barrister sterner ‘s the night before. and i think it was very clever, although i hear that abba have objected to their music being used for political purposes. but the show was good. a lot of what she said, you know, need to be

questioned. i mean, for her to say end of austerity, it is not going to end of austerity, it is not going to end and you voted for this thing over and over and over again and now it is like mark steel, the comedian, wrote in to wel, bachgen ifanc deyf in the independent, inside an arsonist who has been burning down bands, saying i will stop and as a plodding. there was a lot of spin on the immigration thing is the one that really gets to me. this was a woman who created the hostile environment, who made it. because she was to be home secretary. and some of the terrible things that have happened to the windrush generation, the indefinite asylum detentions and so on, and ijust, that was a good dance, a really good way of demolishing boris. i don't trust you at all over austerity.

rushie talking about austerity, immigration, a bitabout rushie talking about austerity, immigration, a bit about housing, while she deliberating —— deliberately mentioning those topics in her speech because there is an awareness that one day brexit will be over and we have to talk about domestic policies? the domestic agenda is the one and only subject. she made a good speech when she became prime minister. she talked about injustices in society and so forth. what made me laugh was that she thought that the missing skills can be provided for by people in britain who were now flock to the companies all those jobs. we know from the past the companies have asked to fill hospitalityjobs with local people and local people are not applying. to cut off immigrants from europe, it does not add up. she

isa from europe, it does not add up. she is a little bit with her back against the wall. and also the jeremy corbyn effect was very clear. they so the labour conference turned out to be quite good and she has just stolen some of the stuff from them and i don't think they mean any of it. that is the trouble. people keep saying that theresa may gave a good speech for theresa may and that isa good speech for theresa may and that is a low bar. relative to that, she did well. others who do not like said it was well crafted.|j did well. others who do not like said it was well crafted. i think relative to her own track record, she did well. but that is an aside. the conservative party don't have the answers that match the mood of the answers that match the mood of the nation at the moment on the labour party does and they are terrified. you had lord o'neill, a former conservative treasurer write a column in one of the national newspapers, in the guardian, this week, saying, i hate to admit it but

actually the labour party has more economic solutions that shines more with the rest of the country than the conservatives to light that is a huge problem. it is notjust former tory treasurer 's that are saying that, polling suggests that. last year, a radical socialist think tank, not, showed that overwhelmingly the national mood supports renationalisation of rail and utilities, overwhelmingly supports higher rates of tax for higher earners and investment in infrastructure. we are looking at a lost decade in the uk, that is down to the economic crash, followed by austerity cuts, which were avoidable. they were ideological cuts that we did not have to go through. even the imf says that they we re through. even the imf says that they were too harsh in the uk. we have lost a decade. in terms of productivity. we look at things like brexit, the ft said last week that

la st brexit, the ft said last week that last decade, that is 15—20% lost productivity growth, that is way worse than anything in any brexit scenario one that is the trouble with the conservatives. it is not just that they are bundling brexit, they have bungled the economy, which cannot withstand brexit. we had a very healthy debate here at last week about labour and its economic policies but also about the reaction from some businesses. your assessment of the week that has gone on for the conservatives in birmingham? whatever your politics, you want the best solution to come out of this mess and i think that we have so much... we have seen theresa may come up and offer solutions, she is going to come back, we said at chequers, she has a workable combo might add it has been demolished. i give her marks for resilience but not for accomplishment. we have seen

almost two years squandered in squabbling, indecision, jockeying, posturing, and this cabal of brexiteers on the right saying, just trust us, this is all going to be fine. and i think that people are going to very quickly find that if there is no solution... i think we are used to indecision leading to muddle and we will work it out but this is an epic change for this country and they don't come to some sort of resolution, i am not by nature a chicken little, i do think that we can muddle through most indecision but this has catastrophic consequences and we keep hoping that this woman can bring people together. but we have the festival of britain. we are going to be so happy. that is one of the things mentioned in the speech. jean—claude juncker is now in the last two days

giving interviews to various european newspapers saying actually things are a bit more positive, something may well emerge in the next couple of weeks, to be fair. people today are a lot stronger than that. what do you make of the more positive noises? we have to wait for the compromise to emerge and whatever happens, theresa may will find such a huge bill to pay after brexit that makes her statement that austerity is over a laughing matter. the cuts in social... contributions and so forth will continue before we reach the end of austerity. and she said tax cuts. and end of austerity. how does that figure? a senior civil servant today in one of the national newspapers has said how this switch to universal credit has totally

devastated families, totally. how was she going to do this? that is why her prediction of austerity being over soon... let's think about the next couple of weeks. we have said this a few times before but we are genuinely coming into a crunch few weeks. and your sense, some positive noises from jean—claude juncker and leo varadker saying he thinks a deal can be done. the irish border problem does not go away. the things stopping a deal being done is the conservative government. that is the conservative government. that is the obstacle. it is not europe, ireland, it is the conservative party ina ireland, it is the conservative party in a sort of toxic soup of its owfi party in a sort of toxic soup of its own making. it is the fact that nobody wants a hard border.m own making. it is the fact that nobody wants a hard border. it is the conservative party tearing each other apart over brexit, doing it while they are in government. obviously no one wants a hard border

in northern ireland and that is the bit that the hard element of the conservative party, the right—wing, the fundamentalist brexiteers, that is the bit that they cannot reconcile. that is the bit of reality they cannot engage with that to avoid a hard border between ireland and northern ireland, they have to accept that britain stays in a customs union. that is it. there is no other way around it. everybody knows that. i think the labour party has to shoulder some responsibility. for brexit? jeremy corbyn has not takena for brexit? jeremy corbyn has not taken a strong position on this and he has sat back and said, let's watch them burn the house down and i will come in as prime minister. instead of saying i have a clear vision, he sits on his hands and he lets the conservative party tear itself apart and the country in the process. but where exactly is the leadership of her majesties loyal opposition all of this? i don't know

what he really wants. i suspect he would like to see britain leave but he is not coming up with recipes and alternatives. i think this country is in, much like the united states, in this state, although it is different in this country because you have two political parties here that don't actually represent, i would argue, the majority of voters' sentiments. it is hold your nose here and hold your nose here. but there is not this centrist option. there is no constituency for a centrist alternative. under the lib dem...| centrist alternative. under the lib dem... iwould centrist alternative. under the lib dem... i would agree with that. we are coming up to a crucialfew weeks. this is what the eu has to deal with. something has to be done.

lam deal with. something has to be done. i am worried about the conservatives being so much up in arms about themselves because they want a positive outcome and it is in the interests of the eu not for this business to fail. they must wish for us business to fail. they must wish for us to just business to fail. they must wish for us tojust go business to fail. they must wish for us to just go now. they must be so tired of us. just go! i think the rational sentiment...m wants to continue trade, frictionless or not, that remains to be seen in ireland, but they want a continuation of a trade relation with great britain which is after all one of the most important economies in the world. a cliff or fio economies in the world. a cliff or no deal is not an interest for brussels and they will do everything to event it, mark my words. and theresa may is now talking to centrist labour party mps. it is interesting that she said in her speech, it is an indication she

knows more than you and i know that there is something going on in brussels, euan might call it a fudge but there we are. how is she going to fend of the powerful right—wing? how is she going to fend of the powerful right-wing? we don't know whether the government, third party, will support her, will support the eventual compromise. compromise for brexiteers is a dirty word. they are not going for compromise. they want a clear break or whatever. in the national interest, come, as is the only way through on a decision that there is so much division. the behaviour of the party and government, how will they look at this, mize is essential. that is all that matters. we will see what happens in the weeks to come. we will be discussing that around the table to come as well. let's turn oui’ table to come as well. let's turn our attention is stateside. thousands of people protested in washington dc on thursday, a large proportion of them women.

and many of them are still there, as we go to air. political divisions in the us have been laid bare, in the wake of president trump's nomination of brett kavanaugh as supreme court justice, with just weeks to go to the midterm elections. this week donald trump, at a campaign rally, mocked the testimony given by university professor christine blasey ford about her sexual assault. it now looks likely that the senate will decide saturday whether to appointjudge kavanaugh to the hugely powerful role, which is held for life. jeff, first, is his appointment a done deal? it does appear to be. senator collins has said that all things considered, she is going to vote to support the nomination and that will tip it over the edge. wow! this is really the polarisation... this is

the second american civil war, as one political commentator called it. you talk about compromise in the uk a moment ago, when i was a student at university in canada, one of the definitions of politics was the art of compo mice. now it is the art of conquest. this is what we are seeing. you'll win at all costs. president trump has had a good week in his eyes. he did the new deal on trade, the agreement is through, which is a triumph, you have got to give him credit, the unemployment is fiow give him credit, the unemployment is now below 4%, the lowest point it has been since 1969. he refuses to has been since1969. he refuses to acknowledge that maybe eight years of president obama helped with that. it is oil, obama left a mess. when you stand back and say, yes, but dropped costco and it is

extraordinary. it is hard to see how this country, the uk, but how the united states can be brought back together. we have lost consensus, we have lost pluralism, we have lost compromise, all in the name of conquest. you have just made conquest. you havejust made me suicidal, thank you! don't do that, not on air! isn't it about the tone of the debate now as well? if brett kavanaugh is being confirmed: i am sure he will be concerned, you're right, it will be a victory for president trump because he will have come out in this debate, and you mentioned is objectionable performance of his when he suddenly taunted the woman who take —— two days before he had praised as a credible candidate. and he changes

his mind in two days, which shows how his judgment is his mind in two days, which shows how hisjudgment is unreliable. the women of america will sort of not forgive him for this. women of america will sort of not forgive him forthis. i hope women of america will sort of not forgive him for this. i hope that they are going to... i would argue that may be wishful thinking. a lot of women will. but you cannotjust thinking. a lot of women will. but you cannot just blame thinking. a lot of women will. but you cannotjust blame donald trump. what about mitch mcconnell, lindsey graham, the entire republican congress. this is... these people fiow congress. this is... these people now represent... president trump is the republican party and they are either afraid or they are true believers but they are supporting him and they are not challenging him beyond susan collins and the senator for alaska, who was gunned to vote against brett kavanaugh. there are a lot of solid americans who support this agenda and this kind of rhetoric. trump may be saying it but his approval rating hovers around 40%, but that is a sizeable number. isn't he doing this because the

language we saw, it appeals to his base? we have appealed this that... this before. it bears. 60% ultram supporters don't believe doctor ford and things brett kava naugh should don't believe doctor ford and things brett kavanaugh should be nominated. i find this conversation... for the past few weeks and months, we have watched a woman after woman come forward and explain in a calm, rational, reasonable manner way this is so wrong, why it is so wrong for politics to abuse women in this way and it is a blatant abuse of women. to have their suffering criticised in this way. and then disbelieved in this way. and then mocked by the president. we are sitting here having a conversation about what it has done to american politics, what is it due

to american politics, what is it due to american politics, what is it due to american society when you say that about women? when the highest law of the land says that about women, that your voice does not matter. your experience does not matter. but the problem is, you cannotjust blame donald trump and his men, his white men and his white nationalism and his macho... there are women in america who stand there, mocking other women. who vote for this man, who voted for him after his abominable stuff he has done, which we know he has done. and you think, what is wrong with other women that they cannot empathise with the suffering of women?” they cannot empathise with the suffering of women? i think that for those of us over 35, 40, whatever, i don't think we could have known we lived through the golden age of liberalism where there was an effort to bring everyone abroad. that has died with brexit and some of the

movements on the continent. and it has died in the us and i don't know what follows it. but there is this lack of respect that politics requires in order to be productive and positive, it leaves us in a real quagmire andl and positive, it leaves us in a real quagmire and i don't know where it takes is. i would say one thing about the message that brett kavanaugh about the message that brett kava naugh sense that about the message that brett kavanaugh sense that is most disturbing, it says to all of the 17,18, disturbing, it says to all of the 17, 18, 20—year—old boys in disturbing, it says to all of the 17,18,20—year—old boys in america, whatever you do to a girl now, don't worry, you won't be held accountable when you are an adult and that is a frightening thought.” when you are an adult and that is a frightening thought. i listened very carefully to susan dennis, susan collins rather, who came out in favour brett kava naugh. we're talking about the case, the appointment, and i cannot say that

the argument, the legal argument is convincing, but the argument she said continues about misogynist america, she made powerful indictments... she shouldn't support him. but she has committed to america being more misogynistic for decades to come by nominating him. that is what she did. i don't care how she dressed it up. i was impressed by her argument. she separated the argument of the legal case and of the cultural case, which she says the argument will continue and we will hark —— have to work for this country. it was an intelligent speech. but i think that... i have lost my train of thought. i was going to ask you, it is worth reminding ourselves of the importance of this because brett kavanaugh, only 53 years old, this isa kavanaugh, only 53 years old, this is a job for life. this will be

president trump ‘s second appointment, assuming he goes through, to the supreme court. the point i wanted to make is that susan collins took a legalistic view. this is not a court case, this isa view. this is not a court case, this is a job application. someone who i’ufis a is a job application. someone who runs a company and hires people, it is not a question of the law alone, it isa is not a question of the law alone, it is a question ofjudgment and character and if brett kavanaugh was not suitable before, we also that extraordinary testimony he gave a week ago, it he wrote a piece this week ago, it he wrote a piece this week saying, i said things i regret. that is an extraordinary admission. from a judge. i think that susan collins does not get a free pass on that. a man can be in that way and still be considered suitable for one of the highest offices in the country. a woman would never be allowed to behave in that way. a black woman? forget it. she would be demonised and ridicule.

if the allegations are true, he was not doing it for any other reason but that this is the only thing to do, the man thing to do, with his friends. and you think actually, it is so deeply macho and so unacceptable, that i was actually angry with the speech that impressed you. i was furious with her. what i found interesting is she quoted from previous legal arguments, legal statements, that appeared to be quite middle—of—the—road. he made some very interesting judgments about gay marriages in america. and he pleaded for the divide to be healed and for everyone in this country to come together. he was very much sort of the person who i don't think is going to now spend the rest of his life with right—wing arguments. she studied his record as

arguments. she studied his record as a judge and she came to the conclusion he is not quite as right—wing as people make out. conclusion he is not quite as right-wing as people make out. that is interesting to stop a quick final thought, we are only a matter of weeks away from the midterms. your assessment... to what extent this will impact and what we should be looking out for now in terms of the result? the question is what is this week of donald trump compass runs to galvanise the base? i think brett kavanaugh 's galvanise the base? i think brett kavanaugh '5 nomination could well galvanise the democratic base because i think there are an awful lot of people appalled and angry. but the sense ofjubilation with donald trump' what i have done in the last week. i think it is up in the last week. i think it is up in the air. if you look at the numbers. this we could change them. things are looking favourable for the democrats in the house, possibly in the senate. it is one to watch. i

have learnt around this table, don't forget. much more passionate debate next week, i am quite sure. we will see one of those topics come in the week to come. we're back next week at the same time. goodbye. hello, we have had a rainbow with showers across the north, we have had thick fog in the south to start the day, and then we have had the rain. the rain is on this weather front, as in its way it takes the mild air with it. we have a snap of cold air for the next 12—24 hours, before the atlantic air turns to the north—west. a brighter afternoon in the south, lots of sunshine in the north. it started on a frosty note this morning but, bar the odd shower,

mostly across the hills and around the coasts, one or two for aberdeenshire, a lot of sunshine here. a lot of sunshine for northern ireland, and this afternoon for much of northern england and wales. the cloud drags its heels across the midlands, and it is a rather wet afternoon across southern and eastern areas. wet, windy and cold, with temperatures 10 degrees down on those from friday. cold elsewhere, but given the sunshine there is at least some compensation. this evening and overnight, the low—pressure tends to move out of the way, perhaps clinging to the far south—east of england. with a ridge of high pressure between our two weather systems, we are in for a chilly night. certainly in the countryside, as we wake up sunday morning. for sunday, we have turned the tables. scotland and northern ireland have a better day. today and tomorrow, england and wales have the best of the sunshine, as that cloud clears away. there maybe cloud later in cumbria, but the difference is scotland and northern ireland, having had the fine weather today, more rain and cloud tomorrow. temperatures just a little

bit higher, and notably it will feel nicer in the south with lighter winds. the high pressure stays with us in southern areas and into monday morning, whilst our weather front brings the rain. it hangs around sunday night and into monday and even tuesday, so we will continue to seek the rain piling up across parts of northern ireland and scotland. over the hills of scotland we could have up to 150 millimetres of rain. milder air does return, so there will be some sunshine in the south, but also some rain with that milder air. we will keep you posted, and there is more on our website. this is bbc news, i'm shaun ley. the headlines at noon: division and protests

across america — but senators are expected to approve president trump's supreme court nomination later, despite sexual assault allegations. toxic air pollution is much worse in eight areas of england than previously thought, a government review reveals. hope among the devastation as hundreds remain missing in indonesia, we hear how one boy's story of survival led him to receive a personal message from his football hero. i heard that he was a big city fan, so i heard that he was a big city fan, soi i heard that he was a big city fan, so ijust i heard that he was a big city fan, so i just want to wish i heard that he was a big city fan, so ijust want to wish him a good recovery. also this hour — the spanish opera singer montserrat caballe has died at the age of 85.