staff at honda in swindon are officially told theirjobs are to go when the plant closes in two years. it's a bitter blow for thousands of workers in a town where the car maker's been a fixture for three decades. there are about 10, 12 people just from our little family who all work here. i have good friends who work here, they have just got married, had babies, just bought houses and you feel for these people. we'll be looking at the wider impact of the closure on swindon, and asking what now for the uk car industry. also on the programme.... good morning, mr corbyn, are you expecting any more resignations? more resignations? the labour leader says he regrets seven mps quitting the party, but defends his policies. new figures show a record number of people are in work in the uk, and average wages are at their highest level for eight years. a teenager accused of murdering the six—year—old alesha macphail on the isle of bute has told a court he never met her. and, influential and revered.

karl lagerfeld, a giant of the fashion world, has died. he was 85. just my inner voice is telling me that i'm thejoan of arc of design. and coming up on bbc news, a big game forjurgen klopp‘s liverpool tonight at anfield, as they welcome bayern munich in the champions league last 16. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. it was an announcement they were dreading. the official news to workers at honda's swindon plant, that the car maker was moving production back to japan, with the loss of 3,500 jobs. the firm says global changes in the car industry, including a shift to electric

vehicles, are to blame, and not brexit. the business secretary greg clark has been speaking in the commons today about the closure, and says it's "devastating" for swindon and the uk. here's our business editor, simonjack. a dark moment for uk manufacturing. swindon is the first plant honda has closed anywhere in the world in its 71 year history. hammer blow for thousands of swindon workers. my wife works here, my brother, my cousin, her dad, herstepdad, loads of us. neymar works in the canteen. there are about ten, 12 people from oui’ there are about ten, 12 people from our little family who all work here. i have good friends who work here, they have just got married, had babies, just bought houses and you feel for them. i feel for everyone and even the management who spoke to

us and even the management who spoke to us inside. you can see on their faces they are just as shocked as everyone else. so after 35 years of manufacturing in the uk through thick and thin way pull the plug now? this is being driven by big and unprecedented changes in our motor vehicle industry. this is a move towards electrification. we started towards electrification. we started to see it in europe and around the world and it is in response to what oui’ consumers are world and it is in response to what our consumers are looking at and what the legislation is driving us towards. u nfortu nately we what the legislation is driving us towards. unfortunately we have to start looking very closely at where we have our investment and that will be in the market where we have large production and manufacturing. the type of areas like north america, china and japan. this vision of the future of the car industry may be arriving more quickly than any expected, but it is a future the government said it was prepared for. electric vehicles only, that is not just a new road side, it is a new

mantra for co—manufacturing. just a new road side, it is a new mantra for co-manufacturing. the uk government has spent hundreds of millions of pounds trying to make great britain a leader in this technology, so how does it reflect in its flagship industrial policies? it is frustrating that as we made the right call and positioning ourselves at the forefront of the industries of the future that honda in this case, for the reasons they set up, decided to consolidate in japan. it is a significant moment in a relationship ushered in by margaret thatcher who sold the uk as a stable, business friendly outpost in the eu forjapanese companies to locate. brexit has changed that. predictability is an important element, that is why uncertainty has caused a lot of second thoughts about continuing business in the uk. brexit should not damage the stable, predictable economic environment that all of us enjoy today. honda is

not alone. nissan and otherjapanese companies have moved out of the uk. tidying up will not be to the uk's benefit. brexit uncertainty may not have pushed honda to the exit, but it has sharpened questions as to whetherjapan it has sharpened questions as to whether japan leaves the it has sharpened questions as to whetherjapan leaves the uk the way it wants to. the way it wants to. as well as the 3,500 jobs that will be lost, thousands of other people in the supply chain making parts, or employed in businesses relying on honda, will also be affected. with a look at the wider impact of the closure, sian lloyd is in swindon for us this evening. and unsurprisingly there is a great deal of concern in this community tonight. honda is one of the biggest employers here. it has become quite a fixture, a career opportunity for apprentices and supply businesses have come to depend on it. 0n the face of it, business as usual

at the spitfire cafe, a short walk from the honda plant. car workers are regulars here and familiar faces to its owner, lesley, who shared their shock at the news it's to close. we do business lunches that we send out, or people come and collect. honda have had their trade union meetings here. we've got a good working relationship with honda, so it is very sad that the downturn in the car industry has forced their hand. among those digesting the news, this customer, who'd helped build the plant more than 30 years ago. what is going to happen to all the workers? a lot of them are young workers, men and women, and they've all got mortgages, families. a crushing blow for those working directly at the plant. but there is concern, too, about how this decision will be felt more widely. the impact on the supplier network of this closure here at honda

could be significant because we would see local companies having to shed workers because they'll be losing the honda orders. there are fears tonight that 500 jobs could be affected here. this factory is just a couple of miles away from honda. it makes car seats, and supplies the japanese plant. it's car park is empty today. we have been told that workers have been sent home. the impact of the decision made by honda already being felt here. you don't need to go far in swindon to find someone connected to the plant. this man out shopping used to work at one of honda's partner companies. even down to the tyres, nuts, and bolts — it is in honda logistics. which then goes across to the main plant of honda for it to go onto the cars. and do you think there will be questions over that now? i don't know what they could do with the depot and factories after, but, just got to wait and see.

this town was built on steam, well before the car industry came here. once again, swindon is having to adapt to changing times. sian lloyd, bbc news. our business editor simon jack is here. what now for the uk car industry?‘ couple of questions this episode highlights. 0ne couple of questions this episode highlights. one is the eu now has a trade deal with japan and that means japan can make highs over there, ship them into the eu without attracting tariffs which are currently at 10%. the rationale for having manufacturing in the uk begins to dwindle. the second is if indeed what honda i say it is right, that if you are going to put all that if you are going to put all that investment into new electric car manufacturing, you have got to do it where it counts, the economies of scale, why would you do it in the

uk? that raises questions for toyota and nissan and others. the third question is for consumers. the companies are moving fast down this electrification route, but our consumers are ready to pick up the slack? maybe consumers are not quite ready to adopt the cars in the numbers they use to adopt with petrol and diesel cars. with those three elements we have a very uncertain time notjust three elements we have a very uncertain time not just for the three elements we have a very uncertain time notjust for the car industry in the uk, but for the car industry in the uk, but for the car industry globally. the labour leader, jeremy corbyn, says he regrets the decision of seven mps to resign from the party, but has defended his policies, saying they have "enormous support". the seven announced yesterday they were forming a new "independent group", unhappy with labour's handling of anti—semitism allegations and brexit. here's our deputy political editor, john pienaar. morning, mr corbyn, are you

expecting any more resignations? seven mps left, now what? more unhappy mps could quit. and jeremy corbyn‘s thoughts? goodbye to you all. he was not keen to talk but at all. he was not keen to talk but at a business conference in london, what about the mps who quit? it was because of anti—semitism and brexit. what are you saying that there are a larger number who said those complaints are justified ?|j larger number who said those complaints are justified? i regret seven mps decided they would no longer remain part of the labour party. i thank them for their work. i want party. i thank them for their work. iwant our party. i thank them for their work. i want our party to be strong, i wa nt i want our party to be strong, i want that party to be united around the policies that we put forward. i recognise that leaving the party means you have got to take people with you and i am determined to do that. not quite an olive branch to unhappy labourmps, that. not quite an olive branch to unhappy labour mps, but his closest senior ally went further. we need a

mammoth listening exercise and address some of those criticisms that have been made. i think we need to find a way forward. it is too late to stop the seven who quit already, but more may follow them. maybe not many, but enough to make this independent group a painful reminder of how labour loyalties have split. canjeremy corbyn stop this split is growing wider? we need to prevent a split becoming a chasm and that requires robust action on a number of issues, like anti—semitism and europe. and thirdly, making sure we are a broad church as a party. and the voters are split as well in the sheffield seat where their mp angela smith has gone independent. should she face a by—election? angela smith has gone independent. should she face a by—election7m will be interesting to see if they find a centrist party, that could be a gap in the market. she should be allowed to have her time. they

should go back for election again. exit is placing enormous strain on british politics at a time when the authority of the leaders of the big parties are endowed. the talk is that some conservative mps may soon break with their party as well. the struggle for a brexit deal has reached a critical phase and it will get much rougher before calm is ever restored. get much rougher before calm is ever restored. the metropolitan police has admitted it could take a hundred years for the force to properly reflect the ethnic make up of the people it serves. currently 14% of met officers are from black, asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, but make up 40% of london's population. the force says it wants to recruit an extra 250 bame officers per year. latest figures show record numbers of people are in work in the uk, and job vacancies are at their highest level ever. the office for national statistics says average earnings increased by nearly 3.5% between october

and december and there's been a drop in workers from many eastern european countries. with more, here's our economics correspondent andy verity. firms like this buckinghamshire maker of bifold doors and windows are under growing pressure. it has expanded its sales fourfold in the last five years and has counted on eu labour to do that. nearly 70% in this room are from eastern europe. now that trent has gone into reverse and it is having to pay more for its most skilled staff. when we look at the market value of these people, it may be a few years ago it was 30,000, now it is 45,000. we are not prepared to invest in people and lose these people, so we have had to consider making extremely large pay rises to keep pace with the economy

around here. the number of workers from outside the eu grew in 2018 by 130000, but the numberfrom the rest of the eu dropped by 61,000. from the eight countries thatjoined the eu in 2005 from poland to the czech republic to the balkan states, it is 110w republic to the balkan states, it is now down in the 184,000 from the peak. the workers at this firm have no plans to leave, but they think they know why others are leaving. the situation changed massively over the past ten years. there is more opportunity, the economics are stronger back home, unemployment is low, the positions are better paid these days. the countries are in a better position. they are a little bit scared about what will happen with no deal and how that is causing all the prices of the products rising up. many people from the

so—called eu eight countries that joined the eu in 2004 have settled lives here with families and homes. but for those who are weighing up staying or leaving, the equation has changed. there is no longer such a gap between living standards here and those in poland by the czech republic. that is why firms like this are giving bigger pay rises to hang onto their staff. consumers are unlikely to go on a spending spree even though their wages are rising ata even though their wages are rising at a faster pace since 2008 as long asa at a faster pace since 2008 as long as a brexit uncertainty persists. if as a brexit uncertainty persists. if a deal is agreed, they are well placed to ramp up their spending once more. helped by higher pay, the number of uk nationals in what was up number of uk nationals in what was up 372000 and 2018, nearly twice the increase in migrant workers. our top story this evening. honda workers in swindon are officially told theirjobs are to go when the plant closes in two years.

and the iconic fashion designer karl lagerfeld has died. we'll look back at his career. coming up on sportsday on bbc news. with 100 days to go until the start of the cricket world cup, we'll look at plans for security around the host venues in england and wales. initial results have proved encouraging as researchers try to develop a test to diagnose much earlier the life threatening condition sepsis. it happens when the body overreacts to an infection and can lead to multiple organ failure. but the symptoms can look like flu, gastroenteritis, or a chest infection, and early diagnosis is key to survival. 52,000 people die from sepsis in the uk every year. our health editor, hugh pym reports. she was just a wonderful, funny, quirky, particular

child, who sang a lot. the actorjason watkins lost his daughter maude, who was just two and a half, when she died with sepsis. even in the last few hours she was still hugging us and wanted contact, and she was a beautiful, beautiful girl who we miss continually. it can be a silent killer. sepsis occurs when an infection triggers reactions which can lead to organ failure and even death. it's hard to diagnose. it can at first look like flu or a chest infection. now researchers at the university of strathclyde are developing a blood testing device which they hope will give an early warning of key markers for sepsis. normally the first chemicals that switch in response to infections,

if we can detect those quickly, we can get an early indication that the sepsis actually happening. the team is quick to stress that a lot more research is needed. experts say it is a step in the right direction, which could lead to a device giving health staff early clues that a patient has sepsis and allow treatment with antibiotics. for every hour we delay in identifying and treating sepsis, the chances of survival reduces, so anything that can speed up the process will save lives. if we spot sepsis early and treat it early, we can hopefully avoid, for many people, the need to go to intensive care. forjason watkins and other bereaved families who have campaigned for better diagnosis of sepsis, any progress is welcome, but they're still a long way to go. many people stepping forward and sharing their stories, and all those individuals who shared their stories with me, i think have been let down, really, by the slowness in which systems of care have been implemented.

there have been great strides and people have done extraordinarily well and there is money in place and an energy to do something about it, but one hopes that that is fulfilled. maude was sent home twice by hospital doctors. her father believes if there had been a simple test for sepsis then, it would have saved her life. hugh pym, bbc news. rescuers are searching for skiers, after an avalanche in a swiss resort. it's feared up to twelve people may have been buried at cran montana. a teenager accused of murdering the six—year—old alesha macphail on the isle of bute has told a court he never met her. the 16—year—old, who can't be named because of his age, denies abducting, raping and murdering alesha lastjuly. 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon is outside the high court in glasgow. what more did we hear today? the

16—year—old accused of alesha macphail‘s rape and murder took to the stand for more than two hours giving evidence in his own defence and he denies all charges against him and has launched a special defence saying the girlfriend of alesha's father was responsible. he said he had never been in the house where alesha had been staying and he had been to the door a couple of times, and that he had never met the little girl that he did not even know her name. it was asked by his lawyer if he raped and murdered alesha. absolutely not, he said. it was suggested under cross—examination that his story was a complete fabrication. the teenager insisted it was 100% the truth. asked if he brutalised the six—year—old, he said absolutely not, i would six—year—old, he said absolutely not, iwould never do six—year—old, he said absolutely not, i would never do something like that. questioned if his dna was all over her because he raped and murdered her he said no. earlier a forensic scientist told the trial he found dna matching that of the

accused on alesha macphail‘s body and clothes. given the volume of samples he said it was highly unlikely they had got on her body through anything other than direct conduct —— contact. the trial continues at the high court in glasgow. let's take a look at some of the day's other stories. the environment secretary michael gove, says britain will use import tariffs to protect the farming industry if there's no trade agreement with the european union. he told a conference of the national farmers' union that an announcement on new tariffs will be made shortly and said if there's no deal, then small livestock farmers, would be hardest hit. a protester involved in an incident outside parliament with the conservative mp anna soubry, has been charged with harassment. james goddard, who's 29, seen here in the high—vis vest, has also been charged with two public order offences, in relation to events that took place in december and january. he'll appear at westminster magistrates court, next month. the us senator bernie sanders says he'll run again for president in 2020.

the 77—year—old left—winger previously took on hillary clinton, for the democratic party nomination in 2016. in an e—mail to supporters, he said it was time to complete the "political revolution" they'd started. more than 300 bin workers in birmingham have begun the first of a series of strikes. it follows a dispute with the council over claims some staff were "blacklisted" for taking part in industrial action in 2017 when rubbish was left piled up on streets. sima kotecha reports. deja vu in birmingham. another bin strike causing misery. 18 months ago, refuse workers went on strike for three hours every day, for three months. and today, it starts again. i'm appalled that they're not coming to collect the bins because it's going to cause rats, we have rats already here. can you imagine the pile—up on this road? but this time, they'll be walking

out for two days every week, for five weeks. it stems from the last strike. unite union workers took action overjob losses and changes to shift patterns. the dispute was resolved after the council decided not to cut all jobs. then, late last year, tension grew again after gmb workers were given a payment. unite union workers believe they've been blacklisted for striking and that's why, they say, they weren't given the same payment. unite and its members never wanted this dispute. we never wanted secret payments to be made to people who had not taken industrial action. and we have tried to make our industrial action as proportionate as possible — to leave the council with an opportunity to settle this dispute. but, unfortunately, the council has failed to do so. they have already been working—to—rule since december. the council says it made the settlement because the gmb was not involved in the talks that ended the action. it says it's already

put a reasonable offer on the table to end the row. birmingham city council is europe's largest local authority. its critics will view this long—running dispute, and the inability to solve it quickly, as incredibly embarrassing for the country's second city. if the strike continues, overflowing wheelie bins will heap more misery on to residents. sima kotecha, bbc news, birmingham. he's been credited with reinventing the once stuffy house of chanel, and was a giant in the rarefied world of fashion haute couture. the designer karl lagerfeld, has died at the age of 85. he was one of the industry's most prolific figures producing several collections a year, not just for chanel, but fendi and his own label. 0ur paris correspondent, lucy wiliamson, looks back at his life. ina

in a world that worships brands, karl lagerfeld enjoyed the status of a god. a workaholic with a sharp tongue and a brilliant eye for what would sell, he rescued the iconic fashion house chanel from its conservative, tweed image, as well as turning out lines or fendi and his own label. —— for fendi. his trademark dark glasses and white ponytail in contrast to his lavish fashion shows and elaborate sets, including, one year, a full—scale beach reconstructed inside a paris gallery. ijust do what my inner voices telling me. i'm thejoan of arc of design. karl lagerfeld was born in germany but moved to paris where he studied fashion alongside fellow student yves st laurent. for decades they remained rivals and work but when saint laurent reinvented the classics, lagerfeld focused on the

modern, teaming up with h&m in a bid to make his designs more accessible. and well before yellow vests became a protest symbol, lagerfeld was photographed wearing one for a road safety campaign. it's yellow, it's ugly. safety campaign. it's yellow, it's it safety campaign. it's yellow, it's ugly, it doesn't go with anything, the poster read, but it could save your life. there were fears for karl lagerfeld's health earlier this year when he missed a show in paris, the last of a great generation of designers, his death marks the end ofan era, designers, his death marks the end of an era, notjust here at the labels where he worked, but across the fashion world. at london fashion week today, the tributes came pouring in. you know, he would say, this is how it's going to be or this is how it should be. and he always did things with such style. well, he just had a wonderful aura about him. the man remembered as an icon and a

genius left behind his own kind of tribute. i am like a caricature of myself, he was once reported as saying, and i like that. the fashion designer karl lagerfeld, who's died aged 85. time for a look at the weather. here's lucy martin. hello there. some of us saw some brightness and sunshine today. this photo sent in by our weather watcher in north yorkshire that has not been the case for everyone because of you head further west we have cloud and outbreaks of rain and this photo was sentin outbreaks of rain and this photo was sent in earlier by a weather watcher in belfast. through the next few days, we are dragging in mild air from the south which is coming up from the south which is coming up from north—west africa, the canary islands, so we will see temperatures creeping up over the next few days. through the night we will see outbreaks of rain working north and east and there will be heavy bursts in north—west scotland and north—west england. the greenies

where we will see the heaviest of rain. further south and east, dry weather but the temperature is mild overnight and certainly milder than last night. here is the outlook as we move into tomorrow. cloud and outbreaks of rain and tomorrow looks like a cloudy day across the board and outbreaks of rain gradually pushing east, but becoming patchy and light as it does so and i think the best of the dry weather will be found in the south—east and here we could see brighter spells as well. temperatures up a touch with a maximum of 14 celsius. moving into thursday, there could be cloud and patchy light rain and drizzle but it will brighten as we move through the day, with good spells of sunshine across england and wales and temperatures a little milder, widely in the mid teens with a high of 15 celsius. then it stays mild as we move in towards the end of the week and weekend and we could see mist

and weekend and we could see mist and fog which could be slow to clear in the morning but dry and bright weather and temperatures in the mid—teens, clive. a reminder of our top story. after more than three decades in the town, staff at honda swindon are told that their jobs town, staff at honda swindon are told that theirjobs will go in the client —— plant closes in two years' time. that's it. so goodbye from me. now on bbc one, let'sjoin our news teams where you are. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines. honda blames global changes in the car industry as it confirms