this is bbc news i'm geeta guru—murthy. the headlines at midday. fighting back —— former prime minister david cameron accuses boris johnson of acting ‘appallingly‘ during the 2016 eu referendum campaign. the liberal democrats conference kicks off in bournemouth — with the party set to decide whether to back a promise to ‘scrap' brexit. liberal democrats are crystal clear. we wa nt liberal democrats are crystal clear. we want to stop brexit so if we find ourselves in a general election that will be our unequivocal message and ifa will be our unequivocal message and if a liberal democrat majority government then we shall revoke article 50. a major fires breaks out at two government—owned oil facilities in saudi arabia after reports of a drone strike. african leaders pay their respects at the funeral

of the former zimbabwean president, robert mugabe — who ruled over the country for four decades. at least five people have died, and thousands of properties are evacuated after flash flooding hits spain's east coast. and, at half past twelve the click team looks at how technology is helping anti—government demonstrators in hong kong. that's coming up here on bbc news. the former prime minister, david cameron, has accused boris johnson and michael gove of trashing his government, with what he describes as their appalling behaviour during the brexit referendum. in his first major interview since leaving downing street three years ago, mr cameron has told the times newspaper that the result of the referendum left him feeling depressed, and that he worries about it every day.

here's our political correspondent helen catt. after years of carefully keeping himself out of the headlines, former prime minister david cameron is once again the big news in town, and that may not be welcome news for boris johnson. he and his cabinet colleague michael gove are accused by mr cameron, in his new book, of behaving "appallingly" during the 2016 referendum. he actually, in the book — i said to him "you call michael gove, who was a close personalfriend, ‘mendacious”', and as for borisjohnson, and he says he has always found him amusing, he has worked well with him in the past, but he doesn't always trust him. david cameron also admits that he failed, and that some people will neverforgive him for holding a referendum. he says he thinks about it every single day, but believes that calling it was right and he felt it was inevitable. he's also clearly apologetic. he's clearly been very traumatised by the whole experience and that

but claims made by mr cameron in his interview with the times magazine that the referendum campaign turned into a terrible tory psychodrama have been disputed by a prominent leave campaigner. as far as millions of people — 33 million people voted — 17.4 million of them voted because they wanted to leave the european union. they did not care a fig about tory psychodramas or anything else. most of them put aside party loyalties and voted on the issue. david cameron has also weighed in on the row over the suspension of parliament, describing using prorogation as a sharp practice that has rebounded. he admits, though, that there is a blockage and for that reason, the man who has become defined by one referendum now says holding another cannot be ruled out. helen catt, bbc news. and david cameron has been commenting on social media this morning. in a tweet, the former prime minister said ‘for 3 years i have kept relatively quiet about politics. but i think it's right former pms write their memoirs, to explain what they did and why‘. emma tucker is

deputy editor at the times — shejoins me now via webcam. do you think david cameron answers those key questions? why he held the referendum in the first place and how much he regrets? yes, i think this his attempt to explain the decisions he made. at no point does he deviate from a self belief that this referendum had to be called. he regrets what has happened, he feels that he failed but he doesn't say he should not have called the referendum and i think that is the pa rt referendum and i think that is the part that is causing quite a bit of anger today because i think there are people who think that why did you think you had to call a referendum? you think you had to call a referendum ? the you think you had to call a referendum? the idea of leaving the european union wasn't a subject of

great concern before he died. he looked at peoples priorities. it was way down the list of things that we re way down the list of things that were annoying them. he did what tory prime ministers of the past 50 years have tried to do. he tried to resolve the europe issue. each time they try to do it they seem to make it worse. i think he does answer those questions but i'm not sure people will be very happy with the a nswe i’s. people will be very happy with the answers. he along with john major 110w answers. he along with john major now criticising a current conservative prime minister. it is unprecedented i think in this political time. do you think that is going to go down well with brexit supporters? he is a bad loser.m going to go down well with brexit supporters? he is a bad loser. it is interesting because in the book he talks about one of the reasons why he didn't criticise borisjohnson i'm michael gove because he thought blue on blue attacks were very bad

but he also thinks he was naive. it is interesting he has come out to attack borisjohnson. is interesting he has come out to attack boris johnson. will is interesting he has come out to attack borisjohnson. will it make any difference? no one is surprised that he has criticising boris johnson. it might annoy... everyone is so angry anyway i don't think it makes any difference what he does 110w. makes any difference what he does now. it is unprecedented it isn't symptomatic of what they say. it is pa rt symptomatic of what they say. it is part of the tory psychodrama. the question is will there be a tory party by the end of brexit if it ever comes? from where we are now there is talk of perhaps a deal. do you think this government is actually properly aiming for that? interesting to see david cameron talking about a potential second referendum. i think over the last few weeks they have... i think boris johnson realises can't leave without

a deal and it would be better to get one. i think there is an authentic desire to get a deal. the moves around northern ireland and the border in the last couple of days is interesting story in the financial times suggesting more of a breakthrough. we had a story about it yesterday. it is possible things are moving in a way that they weren't but there is still a lot of hurdles between getting the dup on board and getting europe to agree. there is a long way to go but there is an authentic desire because i don't think any... all the about what would happen in a new deal brexit has focused minds. going back some years, you know the players personally in this personal psychodrama as david cameron calls it. were you surprised about how candid he was about falling out with michael gove? again, surprise, not

really, they were very good friends, and there is quite a lot in the book about how he really, he refers to himself as naive and it is possible that he was. he is an upstanding chap. he brought... the friendship counted for a lot and he was nonplussed when he was knocked politely shafted by michael gove. there is fury towards david cameron but there is fury on his side how two of his so—called friends turned against him quite viciously during the campaign and i think this is his small attempt to repay that. finally, quickly, do you think people will buy the book or they are so angry people will buy the book or they are so angry about the divisions that they might not? it is a very good

question. there are a a lot of jokes. when we announced we were running the extracts they were funny jokes about peoples intentions to buy or not buy the book. it is a fascinating read and aside from the stuff around brexit or including it, it is really interesting and it is well written and for anyone who is interested in politics and drama it is definitely a good read. people well... there were a lot ofjokes about people borrowing it from libraries but don't forget he is donating the money to charity from the book. thank you so much for joining us today, the deputy editor of the times. our political correspondent susana mendonca said there was a sense of acceptance from mr cameron that when it came to the referendum he had failed.

he talks about how he thinks about it every single day, he was hugely depressed by the result, and there were people who would neverforgive him. but essentially he still thinks he was right to hold this referendum because he felt that the people needed an opportunity to have a say and that the opportunity to renegotiate britain's thought needed to happen. but really quite critical, also, of those who were involved in the leave campaign at the time. boris johnson and michael gove, who he thought were going to come on side with him in the remain camp and actually didn't in the end and went on the leave side, and feeling as though they behaved "appallingly. " he said "they left the truth at home." so really quite damning of a former prime minister making those comments about a current prime minister. yes, and he is critical of borisjohnson's tactics now. yes, this is notjust about what happened in 2016, he's talking about the strategy now and he said he wanted borisjohnson to succeed,

but he thought that borisjohnson's plan had morphed into something quite different and he was critical of suspending parliament, of removing the whip from conservative mps, describing those as sharp practices and also saying that he thought that no—deal would be a bad outcome. so here we have a former prime minister making these quite damning assessments of the current prime minister's strategy. and of course borisjohnson at the moment is supposed to be meeting this week with eu leaders and supposed to be putting across the image that he is trying to get a deal with the european union and i suppose these words from david cameron at this moment are not helpful to him. the question of whether there is a deal or not is also leading some people to think a second referendum is potentially back on the table, david cameron saying that he thinks that is potentially one way out, and nicky morgan, a cabinet minister, said if that happened she would vote remain. let's have a listen to what she said. if it comes to a point away

you asked to vote again, in a referendum, can you give me a very straight answer as to how you would vote? i would vote to remain. so why are you in boris johnson's cabinet? because i am also a democrat, and i think one of the fundamental tenants of our democracy is that when the public vote, and over 30 million people voted in the referendum, there was a clear result, and i know it as a result that many people don't like, it is not a result i was happy with, but i accepted it and i think it is important that when there is a result, whether it is an election or referendum, the mps in parliament fulfil that mandate. otherwise, what we're getting now is people saying, and they are saying to me in my constituency, "i will never vote again, there is no point because you people in westminster do not listen to what we want." nicky morgan there. quite an unusual position for somebody in a no—deal cabinet.

and of course the other party that really do want a referendum. brexit is the liberal democrats. yes, well, nicky morgan saying that. i think what is astonishing about that is that she said it publicly. not that she may think that privately, because we know she was somebody who supported remain in the referendum and she has her own reluctance in terms of a no—deal brexit. but she signed up to a cabinet which may go for a no—deal brexit if borisjohnson cannot achieve a change in the deal with the european union, unless parliament of course stops it if new laws come in. and so actually having her come out and say that is quite astonishing. she was backtracking afterward saying that she didn't support the idea of a referendum. but there's already been criticism of her. david lammy, the labour mp, has said that "she put career progression before her constituents, country, and conscience." so some of the flavour of what people are saying about those comments. but yeah, at the same time we have the liberal democrats starting their conference today. and their message on brexit is very clear, it is about revoking article 50. it is about reversing brexit and they are hoping that that message will mean

that they will pick up labour voters who are perhaps unhappy with labour's more difficult and i suppose varied positions depending on who you ask in the labour party. and in the conservative party, remainers who may be unhappy with borisjohnson's direction. let's go back to the david cameron book that is out this week. speaking while on a visit to bournemouth — where her party conference is taking place — ms swinson was asked if she believed it was wrong for mr cameron to call the referendum. there should not have been the referendum when it happened. we had a law said that if there was each treaty change there should be a referendum and there was no treaty change. he called a referendum and allowed a small amount of time for the campaign and put himself in a situation where he couldn't even make the key big strategic case for staying in the european union. a

catalogue of misjudgments by david cameron got us into this mess and in particular that he was just cameron got us into this mess and in particular that he wasjust prepared to sacrifice the national interest at the altar of what he felt was best for the conservative party. lets talk to ed vesey who was cultured minister and lost the conservative weapon after voting against borisjohnson's conservative weapon after voting against boris johnson's government. good to see you again.|j against boris johnson's government. good to see you again. i apologise to your viewers for my dog. she is on the other side of the door behind me. she is quiet at the moment. just to pick up jo me. she is quiet at the moment. just to pick upjo swinson is point they are. didn't david cameron put his own party ahead of national interest? afraid of the right—wing of the party and of the complacent

and announcing the referendum without thinking through the consequences. people who say this was an internal party issue for the conservatives do have a point but they have to accept that whoever became prime minister would probably have had to promise a referendum and may have indeed believed a referendum was the right thing. may have wa nted referendum was the right thing. may have wanted to leave the european union. if the conservative party was going to continue to form a government at some point, a referendum was going to happen. secondly, you may criticise him for responding to the threat from the right wing to the conservatives but ukip were winning votes something like 4 million votes at the european election. they were a group of voters out there who were filling very passionately and strongly about oui’ very passionately and strongly about our motion of the european union. i think a referendum would have been

inevitable regardless of whether david cameron called h. in terms of judgment, also david cameron talks about demoting michael gove from education. wasn't that another key mistake? michael gove as you know for yea rs mistake? michael gove as you know for years as a strongly eurosceptic and to then bruise his ego and he flipped to the other side when the referendum was called.|j flipped to the other side when the referendum was called. i wouldn't categorise it as a mistake but when history is written i think it is an important moment. some viewers may think i am belittling what has been a major event in our countries history but any historian knows it isa mix history but any historian knows it is a mix of trains and individual personalities. i thought david cameron did the right thing. michael gove is my oldest friend in politics but i knew and although he carried

out really important reforms he had lost a lot of support. i think david did the right thing of moving him on and brought him straight out into government after the election. it broke a bond between them and although i think michael gove would have supported leave anyway, i think he may have found thatjourney easier having felt that david cameron had made the first move in terms of breaking the bond between them. david cameron also admits he was depressed and he was asked if he was depressed and he was asked if he was clinically depressed he said he was clinically depressed he said he was not on medication. how big it all has it taken on him and does he feel the anger that many people blame him dividing the country?|j think blame him dividing the country?” think he is depressed because anyone who cares about the future of his country as i do as well are depressed to see the state we have got into. but i don't think he feels

he did anything wrong and i don't think he should feel guilty about it. a referendum was inevitable and he fought as hard as he could for the remaining cause. that may temper ita the remaining cause. that may temper it a bit. there has been a lot of focus because the book is being published that he is to blame for the mess we are in but the referendum, 17.4 million people voted to leave and presumably they are grateful to david cameron. secondly, the mace which has been created by theresa may and parliament failing to agree and get us parliament failing to agree and get us out of the eu, a brexit that causes the minimum damage to our economy. you have lost the conservative whip. david cameron has said it is a mistake by boris johnson and the pro—rogaine of parliament. would you go back if the

whip was restored? 0r parliament. would you go back if the whip was restored? or are you going to be out of politics? i am glad he has spoken up and it is good that he and many others including william hague have said this is the wrong thing. i would like to get the conservative whip back. i have worked for them for 35 years. i was canvassing for the conservatives at 0xford university when borisjohnson and others were not. he was not on the campaign trail in the 80s. i have supported them for 85 —— 35 yea rs have supported them for 85 —— 35 years and i am irritated that people have decided i am disloyal when i have decided i am disloyal when i have worked all my life for the conservative and getting a conservative and getting a conservative government. we send love to your dog and i hope they are happy.

drone attacks have hit two major oil facilities in saudi arabia. officials say they started huge fires at the abqaiq plant —— the world's largest oil processing facility — as well as an oil field about 100km away. it's not clear who's behind the attacks, but they've come as the state—owned energy giant prepares for a much—anticipated stock listing. nearly 20 current and former african heads of state have gathered in zimbabwe for the state funeral of the country's former president, robert mugabe. thousands of people have been queuing to pay their last respects. these are live pictures from the national sports stadium in the capital harare where the funeral will take place today. for more on this, i'm joined from harare by our correspondent shingai nyoka. talk us through what is happening at the moment. successive african

leaders have been eulogising the president robert mugabe and many of them have come across generational divides. earlier on we had the president of kenya who is relatively youngin president of kenya who is relatively young in his present than see and we also had the equatorial guinea president who has been in power since 1979, a lot longer than the former president robert mugabe was. they are there because they see that as zimbabwe stood by them in their hour of need and help them to achieve elaboration and helped to set up some of these key institutions in africa such as the african union as well as some of the regional blocs. many of the people in the stadium are former supporters of robert mugabe, staunch defenders of robert mugabe, staunch defenders of his presidency. are you can see from the pictures that very few

people turned up against what was anticipated. the capacity is 60,000 but it goes to show how robert mugabe memory had already started to fade in the two years that he was out of office. we cannot deny the fa ct out of office. we cannot deny the fact that this is a significant moment. this signifies the end of an era. he was a tall figure that was colossal in zimbabwe and in african politics for many years but he still leaves a divided legacy. some people say that he was in liberator and thatis say that he was in liberator and that is how they want to remember him. 0thers believe that he turned into a dictator and that he lost his way and that he should have left long before he did. thank you very much. i'm joined now by georgina godwin, who's an exiled

zimbabwean journalist. i know you were forced out of zimbabwe. tell us why. in 2001 we w011 zimbabwe. tell us why. in 2001 we won a court case zimbabwe. tell us why. in 2001 we won a court case in zimbabwe. tell us why. in 2001 we won a court case in the supreme court saying it was not legal for the zimbabwe broadcasting corporation who employed me to have a monopoly on broadcasting in the country so a group of us got together and decided to start an independent radio station. it was deemed legal but robert mugabe brought in a decree and we were shut down by the decree and the gun barrels of his forces. your thoughts today as you watch a number of african leaders at today's funeral. 0bviously robert mugabe is being held as a great liberator but it is undoubtedly zimbabwe rhodesia as it was was pressed. you cannot be a

liberator if you replace one operator whether another. people have been praised by their leaders for decades and decades now in zimbabwe. peter —— people are beaten down. i am zimbabwe. peter —— people are beaten down. iam not zimbabwe. peter —— people are beaten down. i am not surprised nobody is at the funeral. it has been an appalling travesty of justice at the funeral. it has been an appalling travesty ofjustice and human rights. people have been treated badly by him and it continues. there are other leaders in the continent who are there and see that 0k, regardless of the mixed picture, he delivered liberation and there are bad leaders all over the world but perhaps one of the worst is when you are ruled by a different country with racial operation. he got rid of it and he fought out. he replaced it with his own reparation. people are glad that he did that but it is no kind of liberation at all if you then start to operate your own people. do you not accept he did

some change for the better? yes, i do. it was a great thing but it was short lived and if you look at his record after that thousands of people massacred, high—density areas are laid bare, voices of the opposition shutdown, freedom of the press stopped. that is not liberation for anyone. if you compare him to liberation leaders across africa he cannot hold a candle to other who is delivered liberation for their people. robert mugabe delivered more misery albeit ona mugabe delivered more misery albeit on a much more level playing field. where the country is now and where it is going, do you look forward with optimism and do you think the legacy of the family will continue, for example mugabe? robert mugabe said she should stay with the casket

until it goes into the ground and it isa until it goes into the ground and it is a way of giving her power until the very end. there were intense negotiations between the family and the government about the method of his burial and it is interesting that it his burial and it is interesting thatitis his burial and it is interesting that it is not going to happen for at least a month now while they built a huge mausoleum. that gives the family negotiating time that will allow them to keep their fortune and be perhaps avoid any kind of prostitution. i wonder if she is looking at a political comeback? thank you that was very interesting to talk to you. felicity huffman, the hollywood actress known for her role in the tv series desperate housewives, has been sentenced to two weeks in prison for her part in a college admissions scandal. she paid 15—thousand dollars — that's around 12 thousand pounds — to falsify her daughter's exam results. the actor was also ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and pay a fine of almost 16 thousand pounds. now it's time for a look

at the weather with susan powell. hello, if we are comparing our two days this weekend, today is definitely the most widespread of the sunshine across the uk. and generally as a rule of thumb, the further south you are, the clearer the skies will be. to the north of the uk, we have a weather system and it is feeding a weather front into scotland for this afternoon with some heavy pulses of rain to the north—west of scotland and northern ireland. cloud spreading further south into scotland and across northern ireland. top temperatures here though still getting well up into the teens, up to 23 for the south—east of england. through the evening and overnight, as that front slides south, some strong winds across northern ireland and scotland, perhaps even gusts or severe gales across the northern isles. and then through sunday daytime, that front comes to a rest, cutting the uk in half, if you like, with a pulse of rain anticipated to run across the front, perhaps as far north as scotland and as far south as the north midlands and north wales. the biggest difference though, temperatures either side of that front. chilly to the north,

still some warmth around the south. the liberal democrats conference kicks off in bournemouth with the party deciding whether or not to scrap brexit. major fires party deciding whether or not to scrap brexit. majorfires break out at two government owned oil facilities in saudi arabia after reports of a drone strike. african leaders pay their respects at the funeral of the former zimbabwe and president robert mugabe who ruled over the country for four decades. and at least five people have died and thousands of properties are evacuated after flash flooding in spain's east coast.

england have lost their first wicket of the day. the previous best was only 27, but rory burns was caught at 54 at the oval. they have since moved on to 70—1. that is a lead of 139. you can follow that on the bbc sport website. there are videos there and of course live commentary as well on radio five live sports extra. another big win for the usa in the cup today. let's go live to gleneagles now and speak to sarah mo kerins. sarah, as you wear. well, as you can see, it is windy, it is

blustery, it has been gusty