in the industry. so let's begin with simoney kyriakou, who's editor of financial adviser at the financial times. let's start with some of the spending pledges, i havejust picked up spending pledges, i havejust picked up the guardian has to be labour and the conservatives have triggered a public spending bidding war in a bid for votes they are promising such massive spending programmes that we are going to see some public investment returns levels we have not seen since the 70. you as a financial journalist, not seen since the 70. you as a financialjournalist, how not seen since the 70. you as a financial journalist, how would not seen since the 70. you as a financialjournalist, how would that be received by the money markets? is it possible that they could actually speak investors? i think investors are always very keen on infrastructure, for the past four or five years infrastructure and spending on infrastructure has been a huge source of interest to public

pension funds, and private pension funds, to uk investment, if it's a big thing that the governments are pushing then there will be loads of projects and the idea is that perhaps there will be lots of things that investors can make quite a lot of money on. in those terms, it is quite positive. what i think people should be worried about both are talking about borrowing. i remember in 2003, four, five, and six, eve ryo ne in 2003, four, five, and six, everyone is saying debt is cheap. yesterday they were saying we have seen interest rates at a record low. this is the finance minister here in britain? yes, saying that debt is cheap, interest rates are low, it just rings a worrying belt to me. in 2007, 2008, we suddenly saw why debt was so 2007, 2008, we suddenly saw why debt was so cheap and of course a huge credit crisis, debt and credit, it is two sides of the same coin. sol

am always concerned, the uk finance minister has pledged 20 billion worth of spending that, labour want to do 55 billion, these are enormous figures, these magic money trees that people seem to be getting this money from, i would love to know where they are growing. we can plant one in each of our gardens! it does also raise the question of what the point was for all that austerity we have had. that's right. the papers are saying that the conservatives have dismissed the austerity or ended the austerity measures that we re ended the austerity measures that were put in place other than coalition government back in 2010, it isa coalition government back in 2010, it is a very difficult thing because you are still seeing, they still talk about people more than 1 million people still using food banks, and possibly set to rise. the resolution foundation which is also quite charitable in its outlook and

raising issues such as homelessness, poverty, they are saying that spending plans could potentially lead to maybe 7 billion worth of tax cuts somewhere down the line in future, but whether those tax cuts will affect the lowest earning people in the uk is another matter, and what we are now seeing is also working poverty, so people are maybe, a single parent or 2—parent households even both working are still in poverty, they are still sometimes having to go to food banks, even though they are working. i think ending austerity measures in word but not actually in deed something that both of these governments are going to have to focus on because at the end of the day people do care about infrastructure, they do care about boosting the regional economies in manchester and liverpool and newcastle, but they also want to see food on their plates at the end of the day. whether you call it

elexmas, this is boiling down to a single issue and this is where people stand on brexit. a number of pro—eu parties are aiming to defeat the tory candidates by essentially putting out one pro—eu candidate and each constituency and this is what they plan to do and 60 see across england and wales. do you think that fewer candidates deprive voters of choice? i think that is a point that has been raised by some of the liberal democrat candidates who have been asked to step aside, one candidate said that he didn't particularly wa nt candidate said that he didn't particularly want to step away, i think he said he didn't want to step down because he doesn't necessarily support the policies that are being put in place, so he would rather stand as an independent and not stand as an independent and not stand at all, and i think choice is very important for people, the other

question is how much choice to people really have? are we talking about conservative labour lib dem or are we talking about remain and leave ? are we talking about remain and leave? what is going to be the august issue in the election? tactical voting has always been a measure. the main opposition party, labour, is being left out of this alliance because the party itself is split on the issue do you think this strategy by the remaining alliance can potentially have the opposite effect and actually weaken the remain campaign? i think there are 13 seats that are actually very strong labour strongholds that are among these are 60 or so swap my seat .com things has to be people have suggested that if labour got

m, have suggested that if labour got in, it would be a very strong possibility thatjeremy corbyn might hold another referendum next year, thatis hold another referendum next year, that is something that is on the table. would that be the best chance of defeating brexit and remaining in the eu? this is obviously from the remain perspective. it could end up coming back to bite them in this respect. again, do people vote for the party they have always supported and believed in or do they vote based on remain or leave? what is going to be betterfor the based on remain or leave? what is going to be better for the country, it isa going to be better for the country, it is a really difficult decision people will have to make in the 12th of december. lets lean overhead to the front page the financial times, and this is referencing an interview that president macron has done in the economist, and he was saying that nato is brain—dead, it comes

from the comments we have had from donald trump. has the us turned its back completely on the european project here? it is difficult to say because we had mike pompeo basically defending nato, and he calls at one of the most critical strategic partnerships of recorded history. as you say, just in december it will celebrate its 70th birthday, i don't think that saying being 70 means you are brain—dead, i don't think that is what macron is saying but i think macron's point is that trump seems to have acted unilaterally without asking or discussing his measures with all the other nato leaders. and this is with reference to turkey? yes. and obviously there have been comments made by trump about some members not paying their full share towards it, and macron has also raised to the slight possibility and

some of his wording that suggests he might want to see the eu form its own military alliance, so it is not just becoming a trading block but a security block. again i think angela merkel is very quick to dismiss this and say she doesn't think that is a very good idea, in fact she had a lady called claudia major in germany saying that when someone like macron, someone of his standing says i don't think nato is working, she says that is champagne on ice and moscow, again that is a big question that people have to say is the eu 110w that people have to say is the eu now aligning itself against moscow oi’ now aligning itself against moscow or against nato? it is a very interesting situation. something lighter to end our paper review. james dean, the rebel without a court has found a to come back. he is returning and cgi form to a hollywood movie about the vietnam war. where do you stand on this? it is causing great consternation in hollywood amongst all the actors. is causing great consternation in hollywood amongst all the actorslj hollywood amongst all the actors.|j have seen quite a few tweaks from

hollywood has make elite and the daughter of robin williams saying that this is capitalising on the debt, it is rather macabre and it is puppet hearing the dead. i think in certain cases cgi can be very helpful, and star wars a certain element of cg! had to be used with carrie fisher after her very sudden death, so i understand why it has been used, james dean, 64 years after his death... i find been used, james dean, 64 years after his death... ifind it difficult because with cgi you can create deep fake but where is the soul? where is the real personality? whereas the soul, thanks very much simoney. that is it for us from a newspaper review, i see you in just few minutes for the headlines. goodbye. hello. thursday brought us a day of heavy

and persistent rain across some parts of the country, particularly for parts of northern england. there was 75mm of rain by the end of the day in sheffield and many areas have seen flooding problems and quite a lot of travel disruption too. we still have numerous flood warnings and severe flood warnings in force as well. although the worst of the rain will be easing away, river levels will be lagging behind the main rainfall, so still a lot of flooding problems through friday morning. now, the overnight rain has slowly been shifting a little bit further south, but an amber warning was issued from the met office for up to 100mm of rain across parts of south and west yorkshire, derbyshire, and greater manchester too. as we head through friday morning, we've still got that rain band with us, it becomes fairly light and patchy and as we head through the day, it will be confined to eastern parts of england. it's cold, quite a frosty start for many of us to friday, we've also got a few wintry flurries across the highest parts of highland scotland. by the afternoon, lots of sunshine developing, away from eastern parts of england where you keep the cloud and a little bit of patchy rain.

temperatures between about 6 in aberdeen to around about 11 in cardiff. still on the chilly side. into friday evening then, that area of cloud and rain slowly clears off towards the east, so under those clearing skies, have a look at the blue colours, that indicates quite a cold start to your weekend, in fact, subzero temperatures for many of us, particularly in the north first thing saturday, but really wherever you are, you could well wake up to quite a sharp frost. after that chilly start to saturday, more cloud and rain work in from the west through the day, so some rain for northern ireland, western parts of scotland, and england and wales with some of that rain of the highest ground could be falling as sleet and snow but certainly rain down at lower levels. eastern england and scotland should stay dry and bright throughout throughout the day and it will feel pretty chilly, just 5—10 celsius, our top temperature on saturday. now, heading into the second half of the weekend, and it's still an unsettled picture, as low pressure just slowly drifts off towards the near continent, a small ridge of higher pressure in between before the following system moves in from the atlantic

but that means that the rain should clear away from the south on sunday, many of us should see a fine, dry day. again, it's a chilly start. quite a bit of frost around first thing and temperatures by the afternoon somewhere between about 6—10 degrees, a little below par, really, for this time of year but at least it is looking dry for sunday. and then the outlook for next week is a fairly unsettled one still, showery rain around at times, some sunshine too and temperatures rather chilly for the time of year. bye for now.

good morning. welcome to breakfast with naga munchetty and charlie stayt. 0ur headlines today: around 100 flood warnings are in place across northern england after torrential rain caused flooding, mudslides and serious disruption to roads and rail services. in sheffield, a major incident has been declared. dozens of people spent the night stranded in a shopping centre. residents in rotherham have been urged not to leave their homes. in urged not to leave their homes. month's in urged not to leave their homes. months worth of i for in months worth of rain responsible for all of the flooding but there is good news across northern england as the rain continues to ease off over the rain continues to ease off over the next few hours. i will have your full forecast right here. in the general election, labour promises a full year of maternity pay, while the conservatives unveil a nhs visa