i've been add guns to this country? i've been going around the country speaking at rallies every night, and you know who is not there? the bbc and from this line of questioning i can see why. you are just not interested. we we re why. you are just not interested. we were just not interested. let's talk about democracy and trust and competence in politics. this is ludicrous. do you still feel that people with hiv should not be allowed in this country? do i think the national health service is there for british people, yes i do. this is absolutely ludicrous, i've never in my life seen a more ridiculous interview. some viewers enjoyed that robust encounter with john interview. some viewers enjoyed that robust encounter withjohn writing wonderful to see... but the vast majority of those who contacted the bbc were as unimpressed as mr faraj. he had obviously been put up to go

into the abc news archives to try to discredit nigel faraj and the brexit party. was not interested in what was happening today he did not discuss one relevant point about the discontent with the british people and their concerns with democracy. i am absolutely disgusted with the bbc. we put those points to bbc news any spokesperson told us... the treatment of politicians on air,

and the frequency of their appearances has been under more than usual scrutiny new build up to the local elections two weeks ago and next thursday's vote for the european parliament. last week my ‘s edition four have i got news for was pulled at the last minute exit features of the acting leader of change uk with the bbc saying it was inappropriate to feature political party leaders in an election period as it did not allow for equal representation of viewers. that issue of equal representation is a complex one and some viewers have been questioning how it's being applied.

and that reference to nigel farage in the brexit party was echoed by john taylor. let's find out more about those rules with the bbc‘s of cheap local adviser rick bailey. are you in breach of your own rules given at the brexit party has never filled it in any candidates before? when you approach an election you look at what you are thinking about coverage of different parties you look at something which starts off with ofcom and talks about the past electorate support. that's how people have voted in previous elections, but this is a unique elections, but this is a unique election and there are some extraordinary circumstances as you suggested. and that cannot possibly

cover with a new parties into the context of the election is also part of the things you have to take into consideration when you are thinking about how much coverage to give to parties. 50 for instance a judgement about current electoral support might look at opinion polls. of course people are sceptical about those we are very careful to make sure that we only give weight to opinion polls where there is a robust and consistent trend in them. that's clearly becoming established. is that what you have done here with brexit? that's part of the story. although the appraiser party don't have mps they do have an ep. number of those are erect elected originally for ukip and sit in the european parliament as the brexit party. the same way that change uk have mps at westminster and sit under a new party banner. this is not as if you're going with the party share of the vote number of seats in the previous elections, you

are saying they can change party but we can consider all of that now as pa rt we can consider all of that now as part of ours. that has always been the case. liberal democrats in the greens have done very well in local elections and they are asking whether or not getting more airtime in the elections. i would say they are but to get to wait and that's reflected in the coverage. it's been unusual because been an overlap between two different sort of election periods. again, which can be applied to the fact that some parties did better in the local elections, but that's only part of the story. don't forget those elections are only in some parts of the uk, some of the parties is standing in the european elections we re standing in the european elections were not standing in the local. it's true that sometimes people notice some bits of coverage and some interviews and make it's a lot more attention. it does not mean they are not getting coverage. nigel farage is standing only as an mep but getting a lot more airtime than other mep candidates, how is that justified? he's the leader of a

party the same way theresa may and jeremy corbyn invents cable or leaders the party. notjust sitting there under a candidate and that's true of all parties. people are wondering if the old rules work any more giving the strangeness of this election and the brexit party has only one policy but no manifesto, conservatives don't even want the elections to happen and you have brand—new political parties with no track record vying for airtime. this is absolutely a unique election. to the rules need to change how you calculate... we look at each election in its own contacts and if you look at the rules as they are put on publicly and therefore our editors, they do set up these context as making those judgements so context as making those judgements so all of those different elements are taken into account, but what people see often, of course there are no perfect answers and no mathematical formula that says this is what impartiality is. why was

have i got news for you dropped but nigel faraj can be on two shows the same week? it was a single appearance by one party and that's what it was pulled. question time and a whole range of guests and so does andrew marr. that's how it should bejudged. does andrew marr. that's how it should be judged. he does andrew marr. that's how it should bejudged. he watching does andrew marr. that's how it should be judged. he watching will say it's all very well are talking about impartiality but they don't feel the bbc is being open about how you calculate this, and you cannot expect people to just trust you because you are the bbc any more. that may well be true but as i said there's no mathematical formula, there's no mathematical formula, there's a whole range of things you have to take into account. is it uk wide? is it a short bulletin or long bulletin? is it weekly or daily, every programme has to think about it in their own context and make a judgement across the election period. you cannot judge judgement across the election period. you cannotjudge each programme by one single addition that you have a judge across the election and is it being fair? i would say when you're looking at all

of those programmes individually some parties will say we are not getting a fair shout, and it's important we look at that and take it into account. it has to be said sometimes also that parties will put pressure on to get more coverage and also put pressure on to give less coverage to their opponents. we have to look at that fairly but also sometimes have to resist that pressure. thank you. it is now clear that the long—awaited and much discussed contest to succeed theresa may is not far away. on thursday and seen may is not far away. on thursday and seenin may is not far away. on thursday and seen in headlines in the news channel senior backbencher graham brady confirmed that the prime minister would set out a timetable for her departure in the first week ofjune. for her departure in the first week of june. that's the for her departure in the first week ofjune. that's the position agreed by the prime minister and the executive. in the meantime the four former secretary of the business co nfe re nce former secretary of the business conference in manchester that of course he will run for the conservative leadership. that i of

bill mccartin was drawn towards the captions of the bottom of the screen there. the ruling news you displayed... and finally, these are strange political times and perhaps that's why chris mason's appearance on thursday's breakfast has an unusual appearance. in the catholic on enviously at the number of lives theresa may seems to have had politically little illustration for you here, don't get this kind of thing on newsnight. if you think back the things that the prime minister had survived is quite striking. just we thought we reached peak chris mason we have done it again. i'm imagining people tuning in ten seconds into that thinking we had been hacked or something. thank you very much indeed. so was that a

harmless and entertaining device? or childish and insulting? paul harrington thought the letter, writing... thank you for all of your comments this week, positive and negative. please do get in touch with your opinions about what you see on bbc tv news, online or on social media. you may even appear on the programme. you can e—mail us on news watch at bbc that code uk or find us on twitter at bbc news watch. you

can have a look at previous interviews on our website. that's all from us, we will be back to have your thoughts about bbc news coverage again next week. goodbye. that's another glorious state across the northern half of the country with pretty high temperatures across parts of scotland tended to the far north of england. further south a lot more clout around without bricks of rain quite breezy and cool enough to be the theme tonight as cloud and rain begins to spill into all areas across scotland. for the south will be drier i think with just one or two showers around. a reversal of fortu nes two showers around. a reversal of fortunes and the weather conditions around the end of the night in a few showers around the south with relatively dry. in a more mild night

from what it should be the last few. it is saturday then and there will be more clout around what we are used to in the week and showers more spells of rain and also good sales of sunshine across england and wales light winds and will actually feel quite warm. this is a picture for saturday starting a further cloudy with one or two showers around in a persistent rain for northern ireland and scotland —— attendees for the day and a few sun exposure but most of the sunny spells will be across england and wales feel pleasantly warm england and wales feel pleasantly warm and to the afternoon but that could set off a scattering of heavy and perhaps even sundry showers. it will continue on into saturday evening but they will fade away overnight at the lengthy clear spells across england and wales and perhaps a few mist and fog patches whereas for scotland and northern ireland will hold into a bit of cloud the odd patch of rain here and a quietand cloud the odd patch of rain here and a quiet and benign night with winds falling light and should be a relatively mild one. pressure for

sunday, low pressure still nearby and most across the north of the uk with very slick ice and the winds of the extremely light up and down the uk throughout the day. we will see more clout and shall reimburse the rent more clout and shall reimburse the re nt a cross more clout and shall reimburse the rent across the north of the country but the sunshade comes out across england and wales temperatures reach around 20 degrees and we could see a few sharp showers developing and slow moving because the winds will be light and throughout the week and stays pretty benign with quite a bit of sunshine around and variable cloud. warm and the sunshine but a lwa ys cloud. warm and the sunshine but always the chance of showers some of which could be heavy.

this is bbc news, i'm martine croxall. the headlines at 8pm. cross party brexit talks collapse, jeremy corbyn pulls the plug on them, blaming the weakness and instability of the government. the divisions within the conservative party means that the government is negotiating with no authority and no ability, that i can see, to actually deliver anything. we haven't been able to overcome the fact that there isn't a common position in labour about whether they want to deliver brexit or hold a second referendum which could reverse it. also on the programme: more harrowing testimony from the inquest into the london bridge attack. a police constable tells the inquest how he tried to fight off all three killers — armed only with his baton. a neo—nazi who planned to murder the labour mp,