hello this is bbc news. the headlines. prince andrew announces he will step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, following a bbc interview about his friendship with jeffrey epstein. borisjohnson says he'll raise the point at which workers start to pay national insurance if his party wins the general election lowering taxes for working people. imean i mean low tax for people, the working people. we are going to be cutting national insurance up to 12,000.

jo swinson launches the lib dem's manifesto she predicts a 50 billion pound remain bonus and investment in schools and support for the low paid. at the trump impeachment inquiry the us ambassador to the eu says the president was behind pressure on ukraine to investigate joe biden. in the last hour prince andrew has announced he is stepping down from public duties for the foreseeable future after being engulfed in the scandal involving jeffrey epstein. the duke of york denies an allegation that he had sex with a 17—year—old girl procured for him by his friend epstein, the financier who killed himself in a us prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. let's talk now to royal commentator. this is an unprecedented statement.

it was issued by buckingham palace royal communications just before six o'clock this evening. if ijust read it to you, this was a statement by his royal highness the duke of york. it says, it has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with jeffrey circumstances relating to my former association withjeffrey epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work. and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities i am proud to support. he says, therefore, i have asked her majesty if i may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future and she has given her permission. so a recognition, i think, over the last few days since the interview aired on the bbc on saturday night that his position has become untenable. the many charities he work with, we have seen a slow drip of these charities and organisations backing off from association with their royal patron, which is normally seen as a huge

benefit to any charity or organisation. this has become less so. organisation. this has become less so. i'll continue with this statement, because i think it a nswe i’s statement, because i think it answers many of the criticisms people had over the interview what was said and wasn't said. the statement on to say, i continue to honour quickly regret my illjudged association with jeffrey honour quickly regret my illjudged association withjeffrey epstein. his suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularfor his victims, and i deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form closure. i can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. of course, i am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required. many of the criticisms people had over his interview, he hadn't addressed the victims, he hadn't talked about the impact on the victims ofjeffrey talked about the impact on the victims of jeffrey epstein. talked about the impact on the victims ofjeffrey epstein. they are, of course, addressing that. nor did he express regret for his

association in the interview. indeed. he suggested it had actually been quite a beneficial relationship for him in terms of business contacts. that went down very badly, a lot of people were very upset by that. interestingly, even up until yesterday, buckingham palace, when asked about, would he cooperate with law enforcement agencies, they were equivocating about it, but here it is saying, of course i am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required. what does stepping back from public duties mean exactly? the main duty, the main role he has had really, over the last five years or so, something called picture palace, his baby, really. bringing businesses together, —— pitch at palace. bringing businesses and entrepreneurs together. that is the big thing in the last five years for

him. it has involve thousands of people around the globe, suit stepping back from that and taking his name off it... whether picture palace were continue without dispatching h... it is so closely associated with them, we will have to wait and see. there are other associations like the university of huddersfield where students say they no longer want him involved with their university. there has been all sorts of groups and organisations that he is linked with, which normally would be seen as very beneficial to have a royal patron, but what has happened over the last few days and months has just made and change the optics entirely when it comes to the duke of york. lets talk to our royal commentator, penny. your reaction? i think it was inevitable. i think his position really had become untenable. i've never seen really had become untenable. i've never seen such really had become untenable. i've never seen such a really had become untenable. i've never seen such a reaction to a royal interview. there have not been

that many royal interviews, but the reaction wasjust so that many royal interviews, but the reaction was just so condemnatory, and he came across so badly. not once expressing regret or sympathy for the victims ofjeffrey epstein's behaviour. and not distancing himself from epstein when he was given the chance. but actually saying that he had bound the relationship quite beneficial to him. he did condemn his sexual impropriety and crimes, let's not mince words, but he wasjust so completely on self aware. and crass, really, and his exoneration is two it was a disaster. i think it left people feeling not necessarily that he was guilty, but that he was so out of touch and so self—centred.

so, ithink out of touch and so self—centred. so, i think that was, really, you can't have someone like that travelling the world on behalf of the queen or heading up charities. have you heard at all how the queen and other members of the royal family have responded to this growing scandal in the last few days? and what, in your view, is going to mean when they say the duke of york are stepping back from public duties? i suspect that he... i don't know this to be true. i suspect that he didn't make this choice himself. i suspect that he's had some pressure, and i would guess that pressure came from the of wales. i'm sure the communications team at buckingham palace would also have urged this. this was... and possibly even the queen. andrew has

always been a real favourite of the queen's, she is now 93, she doesn't like confrontation, i'm sure she would not have enjoyed telling andrew that it was time to call it a day. do you think this is come from? no, i suspect it is the prince of wales. mind you, it could be her private secretary who said that lack who forced her hand. it is my hunch, not information i have. and that would be because of the damage to the royal family and the particular seriousness of this whole episode? absolutely. really, this must not be allowed to infect the goodwill that the public has for the rest of the royal family. it was a cancer that had to be cut out. and i think that

in taking these steps today, that is exactly what has happened. you know, he may very well be rehabilitated. i'm sure he will be rehabilitated. if he goes across to america, appears asked to help with the investigation, if he is seen to be innocent of all wrongdoing, i am sure that he can, in time, come back. many other people who have been disgraced before have come back. many politicians amongst them, some of them have even been to jail. thanks very much, indeed, forgiving as your reaction to what has happened in the last hour. good to speak to you. let me remind you of the statement the duke of york has issued in the last hour. he has said that he asked her majesty if he may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future and she has given her permission. i continue to unequivocally regret my illjudged

association with jeffrey unequivocally regret my illjudged association withjeffrey epstein. she says that he does intend to help, if asked, any of the appropriate law—enforcement agencies with their investigations if required. he does say that he sympathises with everyone that has been affected and wants some form of closure in the epstein case. we will bring you much more on that breaking news, of course, in the coming error so, but personable, let's catch up with the days sport. hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm gavin ramjaun. he's back! after nearly a year away from football, jose mourinho is the new man in charge at tottenham. and he comes in to replace this man — mauricio pochettino — who was sacked less than 2a hours ago. i'll be here live in north london at

the tottenham hotspur statement with all the latest isjose mourinho ta kes all the latest isjose mourinho takes over at spurs. well — only one place to start tonight. jose mourinho is back in football management, as the new head coach of tottenham. what a day it's been for the north london club. less than 2a hours ago, they'd sacked mauricio pochettino, ending his 5 year spell at the club — and this morning announced the appointment of mourinho on a four year contract. what can i promise? passion from a job but also passion for my club. it isa job but also passion for my club. it is a privilege when a manager goes

toa is a privilege when a manager goes to a club and feels that happiness in relation to the squad that he is going to have. these are not words of the moment, they are not words of me being me tottenham head coach, these are words that i told and i repeated in the last three or five yea rs, repeated in the last three or five yea rs , eve n repeated in the last three or five yea rs, even as repeated in the last three or five years, even as a opponent. in relation to the premier league, we know we are, and we know we don't belong there. we should just play a match after match. the next match we wa nt to match after match. the next match we want to win and that is the same about their necks and the next and the next until the last. at the end of the season we will see where we are, buti of the season we will see where we are, but i know we are going to be any different position than we are now. i look forward to the challenge, to the responsibility to bring happiness to everyone that loves the club. let's go live to the tottenham hotspur stadium and speak to dan. dan, good to see you. it has been an

extraordinary 2a hours, hasn't it? it really has. things move very fast and premier league football. this episode has been another reminder of that and how ruthless it can be, because it did come as a shock, i think, too many people and spurs fa ns think, too many people and spurs fans that despite the reported u nrest fans that despite the reported unrest that had clearly been developing between pochettino and the spurs board, and perhaps with certain players too, i think given the progress the club has made during his five and a half years in charge, given how popular he is, given the way that he has managed to do so well, despite them not spending an awful lot of money in the transfer market, and of course reaching that unforgettable champions league final after the incredible campaign last season, their fourth successive champions league campaign any role, it has to be said. despite the rumours of unrest, it still came as something ofa unrest, it still came as something of a shock. then, of course, to be

appointed within 12 hours of that news breaking last night does seem extremely quick. i can tell you that more than mourinho's representatives had been talking to spurs for several days, it is not something that suddenly happened in the wake of the decision last night. within minutes of pochettino's sacking, we learned that mourinho was a strong contender and it was highly likely that he would be higher. talks advance continued last night and the deal was done with an announcement made early this morning. the players didn't realise when they arrive at training that moreno had slept in the training ground, there is a hotel on site and he was there waiting for them. i think they will be taken by surprise at the speed of the events. it seems a big surprise because mourinho doesn't seem a natural fit. he is because mourinho doesn't seem a naturalfit. he is not a man who seems happy to operate with any strict budget, which we know spurs have insisted on in recent years. pochettino had to handle that. since the manchester united experience

when mourinho was sacked almost a year ago, he doesn't seem quite as special, does he, as he did in the past. nonetheless, it is a statement of intent from spurs, a sign of their ambition, a very santa squad and the stadium by may, perhaps they feel they are at a level where mourinho could harness their ability and get the trophies they need. so, just over five months ago, moreno also makes an impact, as adam reports. i think i am moreno also makes an impact, as adam reports. i thinki am a moreno also makes an impact, as adam reports. i think i am a special one. josie moreno famously disrobing himself as the special one. a career so remarkable, it remains hard to argue. —— mike describing himself as the special one. words is exactly where it started. a translator for the great bobby robson, first