this is bbc news i'm lukwesa burak, the headlines at two: jeremy corbyn says he'd serve a full term as prime minister if labour won the next general election and plays down criticism of his leadership from a senior aide. i think he said that because he was extremely distressed at that point about whatever was going on in discussions within the office at that moment. meanwhile, labour is promising free prescriptions for all, as it tries to put policy back in the spotlight at a party conference overshadowed by internal rows. thomas cook is holding emergency talks as it tries to agree a rescue deal to prevent it from going bust. angry scenes in hong kong as pro—democracy activists disrupt transport services protesting against what they see as china's growing interference.

coming up at 2:30, talking books heads to the edinburgh festival, where kirsty wark interviews author jing—jing lee. good afternoon. the labour leader, jeremy corbyn, has sought to play down divisions in his top team, after one of his key aides announced he's resigning. it comes after a turbulent start to the labour party conference, where there's been a failed attempt to oust mr corbyn‘s deputy, tom watson, and further splits over brexit. here's our political correspondent, nick eardley. not everything here is going according to plan. jeremy corbyn wants to persuade you he is ready for power, but one of his key aides has raised concerns.

andrew fisher, still by mr corbyn‘s side this morning, is quitting, privately accusing the leader's team of a blizzard of lies and saying he no longer has faith in them. i have obviously seen the words that andrew wrote, and i discussed them with him at some length. why do you think he said that? i think he said that because he was extremely distressed at that point about whatever was going on in discussions in the office at that moment. mr corbyn would much ratherfocus on his policies, but the start of the conference has been dominated by controversy. yesterday, there was a foiled plot mr corbyn‘s left—wing allies to get rid of his outspoken deputy, tom watson. it wasn't a move against him specifically, but concerns about the role of deputy leader, and i was not aware that the particular motion was going to be moved at that time. i don't think we should make rule changes on a whim.

at the heart of some tensions is brexit, with tom watson again calling this afternoon for the party to say it backs staying in the eu — to be unequivocally pro—remain. many members agree, and they are frustrated that the leadership hasn't picked a side. they are walking a tightrope, trying to appeal to both remain and leave voters, but mr corbyn just will not commit. we will put both views and say, this is the best deal we can get, this is the remain and hopefully reform option, these are the choices before you. if you negotiate what you regard as a good deal with brussels, do you campaign for it or not? lets see what we get and will put that final decision to the people. is he a prime minister in waiting? it is a question voters might be asked soon. if it wins power, jeremy corbyn says he will serve a full term, but what that means with brexit is still unclear.

well, iain watson is at the party conference now. iain. that's right, as you heard there, one policy has been dominating discussions behind—the—scenes, and soon on the conference floor, the discussions around brexit, and the divisions have been laid bare, i think it is fair to say, on that particular policy, but labour trying to move the attention back to policies where there is notjust a great deal of agreement among labour members but they think will be popular if there is a snap election. one of those is about the nhs, and i'm joined by the shadow health secretary, jon ashworth, first of all, you are saying now you will do what the snp government has done in scotla nd what the snp government has done in scotland and make prescription charges free, but if you want to get more money into the health service, why are you effectively subsidising people who can afford to pay for prescriptions? we are also doing

what the welsh labour government have introduced in wales, which is free prescriptions. ijust think it is really unfair that scotland, wales, northern ireland have free prescriptions, in england the tories are saying to the people of england, you have got to pay for your prescriptions, and you have got these very difficult story now are people with arthritis, a third of people with arthritis, a third of people with arthritis, reporting that they cannot afford prescriptions, or people with asthma, sometimes having to forgo their inhalers. there was a heartbreaking story a couple of yea rs heartbreaking story a couple of years ago of a young woman who had an asthma attack and died because she couldn't afford her inhaler. that wouldn't have happened in scotla nd that wouldn't have happened in scotland or wales. i think in england we need the same system we have elsewhere, and this is about fairness, and i am utterly bewildered by the tories saying to the people of england they can't have free prescriptions but the people of scotland and wales are allowed to. but they will say that

people with chronic illnesses, students, young people, older people, they do have free prescriptions, a policy priorities. it is obviously about priorities, but the system has not been updated since about 1968, so if you are a diabetic, you will get a prescription, but with parkinson's, you have to pay, or with arthritis, you have to pay, or with arthritis, you have to pay. so some things you will get a free prescription, others you will not. i think the fire and a simpler thing to do is to completely abolish all the charges so that people in england get the same deal that they get in wales, northern ireland and scotland, and that is what we are saying. as i say, i don't understand why the tories are saying to people, you have to pay for your prescriptions, i don't know why the tories are opposing this measure, it seems common sense to me. a great deal of agreement here, three standing ovations for your speech. you are not supposed to

reveal that on camera! something which is popular here, but perhaps more devised it as your policy on brexit. i understand the national executive, the nec, has effectively decided to take jeremy executive, the nec, has effectively decided to takejeremy corbyn's position on this, where the party stays neutral during a general election election campaign and makes up election election campaign and makes up its mind at a special conference further down the line. members of the shadow cabinet, colleagues that you sit with, emily thornberry, tom watson and others, saying they will campaignfor watson and others, saying they will campaign for remain. will you join them? a gap of course i will, i am on the record... my constituency, leicester south, a great constituency, people in leicester south voted by a majority for remain, andi south voted by a majority for remain, and i think whatjeremy corbyn is trying to do is pull together in a position which i can say has merit and logic, so that i come as an mp for leicester south, can say we are going to have a referendum, i will campaign for remain, and people who want to

remain in the eu because they know of the disastrous consequences of brexit, you will have that referendum. we are the only party offering that referendum now. but the party officially will not be backin the party officially will not be back in remain. the position adopted means that i can campaign for remain, but my very good friend gloria de piero in ashfield, a traditional labour seat that voted labour, candidates in ashfield will be able to say, look, you know, if you want to leave, that option will be on the ballot paper in that referendum as well. we are trying to bring together the country, which is very divided, and i think that is an honourable and respectable thing to do. let me be very specific about this, some say that the party should officially be campaigning for remain during any general election, not down to the wishes of individual constituents, that is something that some shadow cabinet members indoors, tom watson amongst them this

lunchtime. do you think the party should take that position?|j lunchtime. do you think the party should take that position? i was not alive at the time, because i am not adult, despite my grey hair, but actually in mid—705 harold wilson led a labour cabinet were tony benn campaign to leave the european union and denis healey and royjenkins campaign to stay... but jeremy corbyn has said he wanted to be in the european union, he was quite clear, there was no ambiguity from harold wilson. and he campaign to stay in the eu three years ago. it is an entirely logical position which has merit, and it is fine by me. jon ashworth, thank you very much, the shadow health secretary, a good reception for his speech, a rocky ride for labour and the brexit issues, more discussions behind—the—scenes today, a vote, perhaps a couple on that policy tomorrow. iain watson, thank you very much for that, we will be speaking to you later, of course. as we just heard there, labour is now keen to get its message

out about new policies. it wants to abolish nhs prescription charges in england, bringing it in line with the rest of the uk. let's speak to dr samantha walker, deputy chief executive and executive director for research and policy at asthma uk. they've been campaigning for an end to prescription charges. and asthma uk have been campaigning foran and asthma uk have been campaigning for an end to prescription charges. thank you for speaking to us at bbc news. first off, i had a look at your website, you called prescription charges are unfair. just explain why this is unfair for asthma. well, i think it is unfair for people with asthma largely because it affects people of all ages, they are predominantly not older people who often don't pay for prescriptions, so a big population of people are in work but poorly paid, so disproportional lately it affects those people's ability to ta ke affects those people's ability to take the medicine they need to stay

well. i am sure many people who have to pay for prescriptions will be saying, they may well say abolish it completely, but why asthma, why abolish the prescription for asthma? what is it about the nature of asthma that means that it should perhaps have been put on that list backin perhaps have been put on that list back in 1968? asthma affects 5.5 million people in the uk, and three people die every day of it, and it isa people die every day of it, and it is a condition that can affect you at different times during your life, and it is very variable, and the drugs are ascension —— essentially life—saving, by using inhalers you massively reduce your risk of going to hospital or dying of an asthma attack. people need to take these drugs through their whole lifetime, but they are life—saving, and these tragic stories where people are saying i am just taking half of what i should or hardly any, to make it

last longer, those people ending up in hospital, or the tragic case that jonathan mentioned, she died because she could not afford to take the medicine, that is tragic, and it is unfair that people should have to pay for it. that story of the student who died, was not reflected in the survey that you carried out last year? yeah, we found that very large numbers of people have compromised in some way in terms of not taking their medicine, so people would obviously need to buy food, so they would not pay for their prescription charges, they would just make very difficult choices, and people like holly, poorly paid, you will think, i will save it until i needed, and then that leads to the tragedies that happen. the campaign you run is called paying two brave, and to think that asthma is taken seriously enough by the government?

—— paying to breathe. what does matt hancock site organisations like yourselves? i think most people do not know how many people it kills every day, and even people with asthma do not take it terribly seriously, but we know from surveys we have done in basic care that the majority of people are not getting the basic care that would keep them out of hospital, including have an action plan which reduces your risk of going to hospital. i think there are of going to hospital. i think there a re lots of of going to hospital. i think there are lots of ways that people with asthma and the health service can help people with asthma stay well. not having to pay for prescriptions would be a real boost to that, but there are other things, like getting basic care, getting an action plan downloaded from our website to shout our doctor, that is ways of keeping people well. just very quickly, dr walker, can you give us an idea of how often these prescriptions are needed by sufferers? how much would

it cost over a month? difficult to know. i think, it cost over a month? difficult to know. ithink, off it cost over a month? difficult to know. i think, off the top of my head,it know. i think, off the top of my head, it is about £60 or £80... actually, no, idon't head, it is about £60 or £80... actually, no, i don't know the monthly cost, but essentially you need a brown inhaler that you need to ta ke need a brown inhaler that you need to take regularly, once a month, and more blue inhalers, because people like to have those in different places because they are emergency, life—saving drugs, so the costs can stack up quickly. thank you very much, dr samantha walker. plans are in place to fly holiday—makers back to the uk if the tour operator thomas cook colla pses, according to the foreign secretary. dominic raab said the government would make sure no—one would be stranded, but he dampened hopes of a government rescue bid for the firm. the travel company is currently in emergency talks and insists a deal to save it is still possible. our transport correspondent tom burridge reports. the beginning of a holiday

in majorca, on the day when britain's oldest travel agent is fighting to stay afloat. a deal to save thomas cook is, we are told, still possible, but it has to come in a matter of hours. i couldn't care less. if i get stuck, i get stuck. we are concerned as to what will happen, whether we can fly home or not. last night, confusion for holiday—makers at this hotel in tunisia, as they were effectively held hostage. the hotel was, we are told, worried that money owed to it by thomas cook might not be paid. and then there are people like andrew and sharon, uncertain if their dream las vegas wedding, booked with thomas cook, will happen. your heart sinks, you've planned everything to the minute detail, and suddenly everything could come apart at the last moment. it's just a feeling

where we are not sure. the company's fate will be decied at a meeting here, where investors need to stump up an additional £200 million by tonight so thomas cook can keep operating in the coming months. in the uk, 9000 jobs are at stake. 150,000 brits are currently on thomas cook holidays abroad. the government says, if the company collapses, people will be brought home. people on or booked on a thomas cook package holiday are protected under the atol scheme. if you've booked just a flight, it will be travel insurance or a claim to your credit card company, but the company is, for now at least, still operating normally. our europe correspondent gavin lee is in palma on the island of majorca, and he's been speaking to passengers arriving on thomas cook holidays. well, this is the situation in palma airport in majorca. all of these coaches here are for

thomas cook package holidays, and we've just witnessed what is the last flight of the day, people going to glasgow. we may be able to catch a quick word with people before they depart, potentially the last flight. excuse me, a quick word with the bbc. you have come from glasgow today. you could be on the last flight of the day, potentially, who knows, with the company, how are you feeling given that thomas cook is in a pretty precarious situation? yeah, it is kind of worrying, but there is nothing we can do about it. how has it affected your holiday so far? i mean, you'vejust got here. we just have to take it like it goes. when are you due back? next sunday, a week. will you be looking at your phones, looking at the news, orjust forgetting about it and have a holiday? we'll try to forget about it and just have a holiday, see how it goes. yeah? have you been with thomas cook packages before? no, it's our first time so... well, have a great, relatively stress—free holiday, depending on what happens in the next few days. what is your name? raphael. gloria. a quick word with you as well, how are you feeling about this

last thomas cook flight? feeling ok about it. where are you from, gloria? poland. have a great time. have a nice holiday. i know vivienne... i am very sorry... you can say very little at the moment. a nice smile and business as usual, thank you! great stuff. well, thomas cook staff have been told that they can't say very much to us, but i have spoken off camera, and there are a few that are worried that if suddenly this company collapses and their jobs ultimately end, people who live here say they'll have to look for something else. there are those who are based in the uk that have been saying to me privately, what do we do, asking us for information. and what we're being told from the company here at the moment is their advice to everybody coming here on the last flight of the day, who knows, possibly the last flight, unless they are rescued, this is the situation at the moment. we'll quickly walk over here and save we can speak to these last passengers, i'll do an anneka rice and run briefly. excuse me, a quick word with the bbc, you've come from glasgow today. this is the last thomas cook flight of the day. is it? it is, what is your name?

alison. alison, gavin. tell me how you feel, thomas cook may collapse, and you are on the last holiday and may not be on a flight back. well, it is all paid for, so if you don't turn up, you lose your money, don't you? have you been with thomas cook before? no. first time? they arranged the holiday, i am just a tag—along. looking at the situation, you are one of the last passengers to get on the last flight arriving here on a sunday. well, hopefully it will all go well! we are only here for a week. a british pragmatist at its best, good luck! well, that is the feeling, quite reflective, a few people say we are worried, we have been looking at the news — most people say, let's see what happens, it is a holiday, there are worse places to be. the situation at the moment from palma airport. that was gavin lee there. the headlines on bbc news: jeremy corbyn says he'd serve a full term as prime minister if labour won the next general election and plays

down criticism of his leadership from a senior aide. meanwhile, labour is promising free prescriptions for all, as it tries to put policy back in the spotlight at a party conference overshadowed by internal rows. thomas cook is holding emergency talks as it tries to agree a rescue deal to prevent it from going bust. let's cross to brighton now, where the shadow home secretary, diane abbott, is speaking at the labour party conference. socialist greetings to delegates, members, observers and those of you watching this conference at home. applause firstly, i'd like to thank my wonderful shadow home affairs team ofjunior ministers, wonderful shadow home affairs team of junior ministers, they wonderful shadow home affairs team ofjunior ministers, they are

fantastic. we live in extraordinary times. in borisjohnson, we we live in extraordinary times. in boris johnson, we have we live in extraordinary times. in borisjohnson, we have a prime minister who wasn't elected by the public, has yet to win a vote in parliament, has no majority, is no support for his signature policy of crashing out of the eu without a deal, and borisjohnson's own brother has resigned from his cabinet. this must be the first ever ministerial resignation in order to spend less time with your family. applause crema we live in extraordinarily serious times. violent crime is rising, there is a crisis of policing, a government in chaos over immigration policy, and

this entire conference knows that crashing out of the eu without a deal would be a disasterfor this country that it would take years to recover from. applause and you always have to remember that no deal is a borisjohnson project on behalf of donald trump. applause we would be subordinate to a united states currently led by one of the most right—wing presidents of modern times. and the danger it would be no action on climate change, more wars, a sell—off of public services like the nhs, and the americanisation of working conditions. as the

government's own documents tell us, no deal could create civil unrest, public disorder, and undermine our ability to tackle crime and terrorism. international crime is rising, but with a no—deal brexit, it would mean we would lose the european arrest warrant, we would lose real—time access to important europe—wide databases lose real—time access to important europe—wide data bases on lose real—time access to important europe—wide databases on criminals, terrorists, and justice and security cooperation would be threatened. nobody who takes the security of these countries seriously can support a no—deal brexit. applause by by contrast, labour will defend the safety a nd by contrast, labour will defend the safety and security of all our citizens, and that includes job security, a secure home, safe streets, security from international

crime. the tories have failed on all these fronts. just ask the victims of violent crime and the people who watch their neighbours burnt to death in the grenfell tower tragedy. even tory ministers now admit there isa even tory ministers now admit there is a crisis of rising crime and that police cuts have contributed. the tories are promising to recruit more police now, but borisjohnson and the others did nothing to stop the 20,000 cuts to police officers the tories have made since 2010. and let's not forget the lib dems. laughter they would rather the public didn't remember that their leader was in the cabinet when most of these

police cuts were made and the cuts to the nhs and the cuts to welfare. applause there is no question that cuts in police numbers have contributed to the rising crime, but there are other things that have contributed us other things that have contributed us the cuts in education, the increase in school exclusions, zero—hour contracts, homelessness and equality, all the cuts in the mental health services. these have also played their part, and they are all tory policies. so... applause so when they say they will lead the fight against crime, do not believe a word of it. they are the ones who have created the conditions for rising serious and violent crime. senior police officers are increasingly going on the record and saying that cuts to

public services have created an environment where crime flourishes. and cuts have consequences. you cannot keep people safe and secure on the cheap. applause labour in government will address the ravages of austerity. it is well known that we have already committed to recruiting thousands of extra police officers. we will recruit thousands of real police officers to the front line. but for all the tory big talk about recruiting more police officers, the tories seem to be relying on taking people out of police administration and putting them in uniform. unlike this government, we aren't encouraging more school exclusions — children should be in school, otherwise they will be schooled by gangs. we will tackle mental health

underfunding and inequalities, we will build new homes and outlawed zero—hours contracts. we will tackle the causes of crime. applause and when i travel up and down the country talking to people about their concerns about crime and public order, they often express their concern about the cuts to the youth service. labour is listening. soon we will be announcing details of an entirely new youth service to address the issues of educational exclusion, the lack of role models, inequality and deprivation, amongst other people, and my brilliant colleague shadow minister patti smith will be leading on this. applause

the tories are insulting our intelligence if they think the public will simply forget who has caused this crisis of law and order. they insult us too with their election platform. they think that they cannot win votes with dog whistle racism led by borisjohnson, a man who described failed muslim women as letterboxes or bank robbers. —— veiled. and he has yet to apologise for this. applause the tories' rhetoric on immigration is just as false as it is on and order. they promised to cut net migration to 100,000 a year, they lied, it never happened. they claimed international graduate should leave the country because they were overstaying — they have had to reverse that decision. they said

that they would end the hostile environment and end the scandal of windrush. they have emphatically not ended the sufferings of the victims of windrush. they said they would treat a 3 million eu migrants in this country fairly. they have not done so, and the situation of eu migrants isa done so, and the situation of eu migrants is a windrush scandal in the making. applause we will end the windrush scandal, we will ensure justice for grenfell, and we will uphold all the rights of the eu 3 million. we will tackle the scourge of knife crime and the underlying causes of crime, we will repeal the 2014 immigration act and end the tory

hostile environment. applause election after election, they weapon eyes... and they use coded and un—coded racism to distract from their attacks on the livelihoods and living standards of ordinary working people. but labour are underjeremy corbyn, will not play the tories's game. we want to bring communities together.

and the fact is that immigration