lawmakers in the us house of representatives have voted to impeach president trump on two charges. he's only the third president in history to be impeached. he'll now be put on trial in the senate — which is dominated by his republican supporters. he's expected to be acquitted. president trump has been addressing a campaign rally in the state of michigan. he said to supporters cheering him that the democrats were trying to nullify his election win. he repeated that he had done nothing wrong. the crowd chanted back : "four more years, four more years". the australian state of new south wales has declared a seven—day state of emergency — as bushfires burn out of control around sydney. firefighters facing 100 active blazes in the area are being challenged by soaring temperatures and unpredictable winds. temperatures are expected to reach forty four degrees celsius. -- 44. now on bbc news, hardtalk. stephen sackur talks

to conservative mp and former cabinet minister, andrew mitchell. welcome to hardtalk, i stephen sackur. the scale of the conservative party triumph in last week's uk election promises to have seismic consequences. borisjohnson can get brexit done on terms and a timetable of his choosing. parliamentary rouble guaranteed. not since margaret agger is a tory leader had such an opportunity to remake written. well, my guest is conservative mp and former cabinet minister andrew mitchell. boris johnson has been handed immense power. what will he do with it?

andrew mitchell, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. i want to begin with some very interesting words coming from the mouth of boris johnson after his election victory. he said, "this election has changed this government and this conservative party for the better." what did he mean by that?” conservative party for the better." what did he mean by that? i think he's right. i think what he meant was that the paralysis that has characterised the past 3.5 years of mrs may's government has been swept away. there is a decisive conservative majority and it's sprung from the loins of the brexit argument in britain which has seen the country more divided than at any time in my political life and which

hopefully this election will now heal. but surely he was pointing to something else as well. perhaps even he was surprised by the degree to which voters in traditionally labour strongholds in the north and in the midlands of england gave their vote to the conservative party and he seems to recognise that gives the conservative government a new task to deliver on promises made to those very people. well, it certainly does andi very people. well, it certainly does and i think it's a great mistake to see this as some sort of clash between the conservative party moving towards the brexit party as opposed to being the one nation party that many of us strongly believe. conservatives should be. the challenge to which he is referring is how do we make sure the election is not a flash in the pan and people who have given the

conservative party of our trust in this election like what they see, think the conservative government gets on in serving their interests, dealing with some of the communities of written that been left behind and so of written that been left behind and so at the next election, they think the conservative government has done a good job and they wish to support it again. that is precisely the point. it seems to me the conservative party of the next few months, year or two has to make some fundamental decisions about what it is and who it is for. there are thatcherite in the conservative represented in the house of commons we re represented in the house of commons were still preoccupied with making government smaller and yet, to deliver for the people we are talking about, who voted tory for the first time in some of the most deprived parts of england, making government smaller will not do. they need government to be more interventionist, more proactive and frankly, to spend more money. interventionist, more proactive and frankly, to spend more moneylj think we will spend more money. i

think we will spend more money. i think we will spend more money. i think we are clear, all the parties we re think we are clear, all the parties were clear during the election that were clear during the election that we would invest more in britain's infrastructure. i think the difference between the conservative stop... so the tories are going to borrow? yes, but i think the difference between the conservative party offer and labour's offer if i could characterise it like this is that the conservative officer would be the expenditure one would make on a mortgage grows the labour party appeared to me to be maxing out the credit card and that sort of responsible investment, particularly into communities that have been left behind in the past, will be right at the forefront of boris johnson's government. but to me, one of the key clear indicators where the government is heading and it's an ideological emblem if you like is the proportion of gdp which is taken up the proportion of gdp which is taken up with public expenditure. traditionally in the uk at said around 39, a0%. under margaret thatcher who did want to cut down government, it went to a record low of 34%. for you, as a senior

conservative mp, do you want to see it rise to 40% and above which it seems it will do if borisjohnson‘s borrowing plans, his commitment to spend £100 billion on what you say, transport infrastructure, rolling out new broadband, all sorts of spending, the tory could be the party of public spending. spending, the tory could be the party of public spendinglj spending, the tory could be the party of public spending. i have no precise level for gdp, i'm not looking at it in that sort of ideological way. why not? because i think can borrow now, with interest rates being so low, so long as the markets and everyone else understand this as a responsible investment in oui’ this as a responsible investment in our future and infrastructure and that's what i think we're going to do now and in terms of the dilemma you pose, i don't believe there a dilemma between the one nation traditions of the conservative party, the allure of the brexit party and what you described as the sort of such rights. the fact is one nation conservatism which boris

epitomised when he was mayor of london, that is the way ahead and i believe his government will capture that and deliver. interesting you say widely, we can borrow money at low rates, the market will have confidence in us. they won't have confidence in us. they won't have confidence in us. they won't have confidence in a tory government if they believe your brexit policy is going to be damaging to the economy. the first big decision taken by borisjohnson since his elect victory is that he is going to out 01’ victory is that he is going to out orany victory is that he is going to out or any possibility of an extension to trade negotiations with the eu beyond december 2020. the markets worry about that, business worry about that. do you? i think you've seen about that. do you? i think you've seen since friday morning a huge sigh of relief across the markets from british business. no, what you saw is the pound strengthened and as soon as borisjohnson said there would be no extension of negotiations beyond december 2020, evenif negotiations beyond december 2020, even if it meant a cliff edge and no trade deal, the pound lost all of the gains it had made in the

previous two days. let's look at this sequentially. first of all, there has been an enormous amount of relief. if you look at the uk stock market, the comments made around the world, there is huge relief that there is now a government with a majority in a clear sense of direction orjihad. the value of the pound will go up and down but he is absolutely right to say we want to get the deal done by next december and to make it clear in law that is the decision of the british government because all the surely sheuey government because all the surely shelley nanograms around over the last 3.5 years, these forced debates about whether you can take no deal of the table have done it in an enormous amount of harm both in terms of our internal economy and reputation externally so he is quite odd to be clear indeed that this negotiation can be done and that time. fine, then you are accepting there will be, to coin a phrase used yesterday, a barebones deal at best with the european union which will

be very farfrom with the european union which will be very far from the sort of frictionless trade that i dare say the manufacturers in your midlands constituency want to see. you are at peace with that? i think there will now be a clear sense of direction because people aren't going around the back any more telling the european commission that if they hold heart to negotiate public, may the brits will change their mind. the evidence of the selection is clear now. i'm not sure you're addressing my point. the point is you can have a deal in 11 months if you can have a deal in 11 months if you want but it's going to be a very income limited deal, just to ameliorate the worst of a cliff edge exit. if you want that, it's fine, but your manufacturers months realise there will be no action was trade, supply chains will not work and that will have a damaging effect on the uk economy. look, it is com plete on the uk economy. look, it is complete nonsense to say that it has to ta ke complete nonsense to say that it has to take at least two years, 15 months, 18 months to do a deal. what

matters is the intent of those negotiating. as i was saying a moment ago, the eu and our clear from our side that britain is leaving, it will be enshrined in law, at least in principle, and we will leave at the end of january. so you can call the bluff of michelle barnier in the eu. it can go ahead, the eeo know we are not wallowing in indecision and there are choices to be made. as for the direction the uk looks to in the future regarding economic alignment, it is clear that dorisjohnson doesn't economic alignment, it is clear that doris johnson doesn't want economic alignment, it is clear that dorisjohnson doesn't want dynamic high alignment with the european union but he says he wants a deal with them. at the same time he says he wants a very deep and meaningful and important deal with the united states of america. the rules on the different sides of the atlantic are very different. which should be his priority? the us or the eu? it is

both. in the sense of a trade deal, i think that we are going to negotiate and with the eu, it is very difficult because we are negotiating with 26 sovereign states have their own priorities and with america, we are negotiating with our biggest but a very big market as well and there will be trade—offs to be done. that is the nature of trade negotiations and nothing armed with his majority and his election victory, there will be winding british sales which will make those deals much easier to achieve. when it comes to food standards, for example, the us, just to take one symbolic element of this, it totally allows and believes in the efficacy of culminating chicken and other foodstuffs stop in the eu, that is our lord. we have to make a decision. i going to make a decision to go with the americans in trade with them in foodstuffs or go with the europeans? is a great mistake in

my view to in in those terms. why? because it's difficult? what you wa nt to because it's difficult? what you want to do is get all these negotiations and issues in pieces on the board, up on the table seek and see what the picture looks like and you can make the trade. you don't make the trade—offs before you've the negotiations. let'sjust think about where the leveraged lies. we quote you the words of a very experienced us economist, politician, larry summers who before the uk election said it's delusional for the to expect a massive favourable trade deal with america after brexit because the uk will be ina after brexit because the uk will be in a fundamentally weak position with its key trade partners including the us. lipton —— britain, he says, is much less to give than europe as a whole did when negotiating with the us. he is making the point that britain outside the european union is a smaller economic entity. it's diminish. it's leveraged in power is

diminished. there are advantages however from being much diminished. there are advantages howeverfrom being much quicker on your feet, then having howeverfrom being much quicker on yourfeet, then having to negotiate as europe does, bringing 27 countries as it is today along with them. so of course it's new, it's different, it's going to be exciting and difficult negotiation but i have great confidence that in a new environment, it will be a hell of a lot easier than it was going to be before. i'm struggling to set a basis for this great confidence of yours, as you've effectively acknowledged. yes, our leveraged will be diminished and leverages what matters. it's not emotion, it's leveraged. there is huge interest on both sides in doing a deal that will be on everyone's interest and i think at this stage, we got a year in which to do it... and people, the us negotiators, they would access to our healthcare system. that's what the negotiation will be. so you are happy with that. so the us pharma

companies want to sell into our market at prices they see legitimate, much higher than the end adjust changes to drugs and they wa nt adjust changes to drugs and they want changes to our patent rules, intellectual property rules and you are suggesting to me because we are so are suggesting to me because we are so desperate for a us trade deal, we will talk about that. i'm suggesting nothing of the sort. i suggest there will be a sensible and serious negotiation which everyone everyone's interest should be concluded and when you see all the pieces on the board, inevitably there will be trade—offs made. pieces on the board, inevitably there will be trade-offs made. on there will be trade-offs made. on the national health service, it's been made absolutely clear by the president of the united states and the british prime minister that the nhs is not on the table. with respect, the americans have said different wings. we know from these leak memos, the us is interesting fixed interested in accessing our healthcare system. the only suggestion is dorisjohnson is adamant it won't happen but all of those on the table. since those memorandums were leaked,

you have heard from the prime minister that the nhs is not in play. we will return to global positions of power and influence later in this interview, but firstly, the question of the union, iam mindful firstly, the question of the union, i am mindful that you represent the conservative and unionist party. you over the next five years and your collea g u es over the next five years and your colleagues are going to face the gravest of scottish questions, what to do about the demand in scotland for independence, at least the new independence referendum. what have you got to offer them? well, i think many people in scotland will hope that this issue had been put to bed earlier, for a generation. well, with respect, 48 scottish mps just elected ran and won on a mandate which says that we must have a new referendum on independence, so far from wanting to put it to bed, they are intent on demanding a second referendum. well, there were many factors i think in play in the scottish result, but you are right

that not everyone, unfortunately, accepts that you can't go having these referenda on a very regular basis. they should really be for a generation. but let's assume that that argument is not accepted. then in the end we will have to — we will have to have an argument about this. probably better after brexit has taken place, and everyone can see what the new settlement is for the united kingdom. but if you are asking me whether or not the uk government can put off for ever the demands of the scottish nationalists party in government in edinburgh, my a nswer party in government in edinburgh, my answer is no. that is interesting. because of the british government says we're not going to it, the scottish government has the power to set up its own referendum, with all the panoply of the scottish state, to have people vote in their own constituencies and their own villages, and if the british government, the argument for the union, is not put, then that will go through. we will be in a very

difficult position. what you are saying is fascinating, and reading between the lines, you seem to be suggesting that borisjohnson's insistence that he will ignore nicola sturgeon's demand, her moral and political demands, for the scottish people to have the right to determine their own future, it won't stand. boris johnson's determine their own future, it won't stand. borisjohnson's current position will not stand. stand. borisjohnson's current position will not standlj stand. borisjohnson's current position will not stand. i think it will stand for now, and i think it will stand for now, and i think it will stand... for how long? well, i think it will stand until the end of the brexit process when the new settle m e nt the brexit process when the new settlement is clear. he says it will stand until 2020. you are suggesting that in the second or third year of the borisjohnson that in the second or third year of the boris johnson administration, they could well be a revisiting of this issue. i think it will be extremely difficult for the uk government, once the new settlement is clear, after we left the european union, i think it will be extremely difficult for the british government to resist the strong argument from the government in edinburgh that they want the people to have the choice again. and you can resist it

for a bit, but choice again. and you can resist it fora bit, but in choice again. and you can resist it for a bit, but in the end, for the reason i have described, it will not be possible to resist it forever. how confrontational do you think this government will be with key institutions of the british state? i am thinking for example of boris johnson's most senior, important advisor, dominic cummings, who has called for a whitehall revolution, a complete, radical reshape of the way government is done, and also, for example, what we've seen from boris johnson suggesting will questions about the future of my own organisation, the bbc —— real questions. is there going to be a radical shakeup of the system in the uk? i think it is absolutely right that an incoming government with a big majority, that has been elected with a very clear mandate, should be looking carefully at the machinery of government to see how it could be shaken up, to deliver on the objectives of the government, the people's priorities. it is right to look at that. and i don't think anyone should be in any doubt about the determination of the government

to do that, and the fact it is the right thing... so when he talks of revolutions, you are one of the revolutionaries, are you? well, it is not my language, but i am certainly very keen that he should be restless in support of government more effective, to deliver the objectives that have been clearly set out. what if it doesn't make government more effective? i am mindful that you are very proud secretary of state responsible for international development committee themes that borisjohnson, with dominic cummings's support, is intent on eliminating your old department and folding the development portfolio back into the foreign office. now, one former fco, foreign office. now, one former fco, foreign office. now, one former fco, foreign office minister from the tory party, alistair burt, has said that would be a big mistake, that dfid, as it is known, should remain asa dfid, as it is known, should remain as a standalone department. do you agree? well, dfid is the most effective international organisation for propagating international develop many of the poorest parts of the world. so why eliminate it? there is a debate going on at the

moment. i am very strongly in favour of dfid remaining as an independent department of state. it is widely admired, it is extremely effective. the absolutely critical things about it and's international development policy are first of all the spending, and secondly point seven, which i am very proud it was a conservative party that finally implemented, so those other two key things. the machinery of government and the way you deliver it is the third order issue. but if you are asking me whether i think it would bea asking me whether i think it would be a good idea for dfid to be folded into the foreign office, i think it would not. and furthermore, the which people think that would give to development through the foreign 0ffice to development through the foreign office is anyway delivered by the national security council. so is a very important point, this, stephen. the national security council co—ordinates written's foreign policy. defence, diplomacy and development, and that is the right place to get co—ordination between these three departments, not by mixing them together. so let me expand on this question of

foreign—policy and global strategy foreign—policy and global strategy for britain in the borisjohnson era. you will be very mindful, because you ca re era. you will be very mindful, because you care about these things, that dozens of written's most senior former ambassadors and diplomats signed a joint letterfor former ambassadors and diplomats signed a joint letter for the times before the election in the autumn, early autumn, saying that they regarded exit as an act of self harm and a massive diminution of written's power and influence in the world. the same sorts of things that i have been told by sirjohn meijer, former prime minister in your party, also by lord heseltine, former senior minister in your party —— britain. everybody that expresses that worries about the ability of britain post brexit to project power and influence. well, i originally voted to remain, but i am a democrat, and i accept entirely the results of the referendum, where remain lost in the country determined to leave. and it is the

duty of democratic politicians, in my view now, to implement that. with respect, it doesn't address my question. do you believe that, post brexit, britain loses power and influence? i am explaining. so we are not in a position to choose. there is a mandate for politicians to leave the european union, and the issueis to leave the european union, and the issue is how do you then ensure that britain continues to exert what i think have been hugely beneficial influences internationally. britain has stood over the years in some very difficult places, for some extremely important principles and values, and i hope that britain outside the european union, because of course, we will still be a considerable european power, will be able along with our allies, along with people who think like we do, to still propagate that same british influence around the world, where it matters so much. but will it not be harder, and will not be true, as

emanuel macron has said, that britain's influence will be lessened? i britain's influence will be lessened ? i don't britain's influence will be lessened? i don't know why you are struggling to acknowledge what seems to be self—evident to so many people, indeed, some in your own party. because i think it is important to recognise that we don't have a choice on this. we have voted, and we are leaving. no, i have had that. the future is out there. well, let me stop you. because you say we have no choice. the vote has happened, borisjohnson is going to deliver on it, and that's all that can be said about it. but there are still choices to be made, and it comes back to the discussion we made about trade choices, and where we look to, the united states or to europe. the united states or to europe. the united states or to europe. the united states right now, our transatlantic partner, is led by an isolationist, a nationalist, a man who does not seem to hold dear to the rules —based system. the eu is still multilateral and rules based. where, in the future, is britain going to position itself in that

dynamic, that choice? well, the international rules —based system is indeed on the back foot, and we have seen indeed on the back foot, and we have seen around the world very clear evidence of this sort of strongman culture which pervades so extensively. and britain... so if we are putting our eggs in the basket of our relationship with the united states, that's what we have to look too. and britain has always been a voice, and influence, behind the rules —based system, and that i have no doubt, inside the eu, outside the eu, ina no doubt, inside the eu, outside the eu, in a relationship with commonwealth countries, in our relationship with our closest ally, the americans, always written stands up the americans, always written stands upfor the americans, always written stands up for those values. we were at the heart of the setting up of the united nations in the late 1940s. that's what written stands for. it's in our dna. and wherever we are, whether inside or outside the european union, we will be arguing for that —— britain. and britain does have a voice and does have an influence, not least through our being one of the five key members of

the united nations. an inside or outside exit, we will be using that voice. and hopefully with these domestic arguments settled we will be able to focus again on the importance of doing so internationally. andrew mitchell, we're out of time, but thank you very much for being on hardtalk. hello there. after a windy and at times rather wet night, thursday promises to be a blustery and at times rather wet day. some outbreaks of rain at times, but not all the time. it's going to be windy, but with that, it is going to be mild. low pressure in charge at the moment out here to the west.

various clumps of wet weather spiralling around the low. it's quite a complex weather chart, but the winds are coming up from the south, so the air is turning increasingly mild. as we start off the day, we'll have temperatures around nine, ten or 11 degrees. but there will be some outbreaks of rain left behind from the overnight, particularly across parts of england and wales. this first area of rain should clear away north—eastwards. then it's a mixture of sunshine and showers, before more heavy rain pushes in towards the south—west of england, wales and the south midlands as we get into the middle of the afternoon. so at 3:00pm, this is how we're expecting things to look. some late—day sunshine for many parts of scotland. nine degrees in aberdeen, ten in glasgow. that'll feel mild. it's going to stay quite blustery, but not as windy as it has been. for northern ireland, one or two showers as well. similar story for northern england, but some fine weather, some spells of sunshine. however, for the southern half of wales, the south of the midlands, towards the london area, we'll have these heavy and persistent outbreaks of rain, and to the south of that,

some heavy, possibly thundery, blustery showers, but mild still. 12 degrees there in plymouth. but across the south of england, the south of wales and the midlands, that afternoon rain will be falling on very wet ground, so there is the potential for some localised flooding and some poor travelling conditions as well. now, as we go through thursday night, this rain band drives its way northwards. behind it, some blustery showers, and then another batch of rain developing, across central and eastern parts of england particularly, as we get into friday morning. feeling a little bit fresher by this stage. we'll have lost that very mild southerly wind. in fact, the air starting to come in from more of a westerly direction, so not quite as mild as we go through friday. we will see some outbreaks of rain, particularly across the eastern half of england. elsewhere, it's essentially a day of sunny spells and showers, but i think there will be a fair amount of dry weather, particularly the further west you are. temperatures, though, a little bit lower, generally between 7—11 degrees. now, as we head into the weekend, low pressure still in charge of the scene, but notice

there are some fairly big gaps between the areas of wet weather, so there will be some dry conditions at least at times. this area of rain might affect southern parts during saturday night, but generally speaking, it is a mixture of sunny spells and showers. top temperatures of 7—11 degrees.

this is the briefing — i'm sally bundock. our top story: the ayes are 230, the nays are 197. present is one. article1 is adopted. donald trump is impeached. the house votes for him to be removed from office. he'll now face trial in the senate. protests in poland as mps vote on controversial reforms which critics says willjeopardise judicial independence. end of a saga. what's billed as the last star wars movie receives its european premiere in london.