you're watching bbc news at nine with me, annita mcveigh. the headlines... donald trump becomes the third us president in history to be impeached, setting up a trial next month that will decide whether he remains in office. a political suicide march for the democrat party. the queen will set out the government agenda for the year ahead in the official state opening of parliament today. boris johnson pledges more cash for hospitals and road and rail outside of london in an effort to hold on to former labour voters in the north. nicola sturgeon will set out the case for a new vote on scottish

independence saying the election makes it an arguable. that will be live shortly. australia ensures another date of record breaking temperatures as a state of emergency is declared in new south wales to try to cope with the raging bush fires —— australia endures. good morning and welcome to the bbc news at 9. donald trump has become only the third us president in history to be impeached. the democrat—majority house of representatives voted in favour of impeachment on two charges, setting up a trial in the senate. impeachment is when charges of wrong doing are brought against a president by the lower chamber of the us congress. mr trump is accused of withholding military aid to ukraine

to try to get the country to investigate his political rival, joe biden. and also of obstruction of congress because he allegedly refused to co—operate with the impeachment enquiry. but being impeached doesn't necessarily mean he ll be removed from office. for that to happen, the senate would have to convict the president after a trial. given it is controlled by republicans, that is unlikely. two other presidents, bill clinton and andrewjohnson, have been impeached but neither were kicked out of the white house. in order to remove president trump, two thirds of senators would have to vote in favour at the trial next month, which is unlikely to happen. the president has called the process a "witch hunt". our correspondent peter bowes reports. article one is adopted. and with that, donald trump entered the history books as the third us president to be impeached. a decisive vote by the house of representatives, controlled by the democrats,

sealed the president's fate. it followed a day of high drama of the kind rarely seen in the us congress, which is bitterly divided. at the precise time of his impeachment, the president was being lauded by his fans at a rally in michigan, the kind of made—for—television choreography that donald trump revels in. the do—nothing democrats, and they are do—nothing, all they want to focus is on this. what they could be doing... what they are doing is declaring is their depatriot and disdain for the american voter. this lawless, partisan impeachment is a political suicide march for the democrat party. have you seen my polls in the last four weeks? the president is accused of withholding military aid to ukraine to try to get the country to investigate his political rival, joe biden. that, say the democrats, is an abuse of power and the reason for the first article of impeachment.

the second, obstruction of congress, came when it was claimed the president tried to block the inquiry into his discussions with ukraine. article two is adopted. the passing of two articles of impeachment, the charges, means that president trump will now face a trial in the senate, where the republicans are in the majority. mr trump is almost certain to be acquitted but more high drama is guaranteed. peter bowes, bbc news. i'm joined now by lewis lukens. he's a senior partner with signum global advisors and a former deputy chief of mission of the us embassy in london. thank you for coming in to talk about this. it is a remarkable moment, even though the script is quite predictable. it is and we all know what is going to happen but it is an historic moment and donald trump will go down in history as one of only three presidents to have been impeached. our correspondent said earlier today that the real war

over this will be about legacy, through to the november presidential elections next year, and beyond. what sort of impact do you think this process will have on photos? firstly there was a growing movement in the house, not for the articles impeachment, that will be interesting to watch —— impact on voters. if the house decides to not send the articles to the senate so the senate can acquit the president. there is some thought that is a smart tactic for democrats but assuming they do send them and the president is acquitted in the senate, i think it will have an impact on november. i thinkjoe biden‘s name will be brought into the senate hearings in a negative way so it could have an impact on the democratic race that way. as far as the president of‘s support, i'm not sure he will lose much support from the senate hearing. most americans have already made up their mind and they are either with or against the president, there was a

small group of independent voters in the middle but increasingly small. i don't think any news would come out of the senate hearing that would be new and change people's minds. of the senate hearing that would be new and change people's mindsm the battle for a small percentage of voters might be minded to vote one way or another, it might be a smart move for the democrats not to forward these articles of impeachment because it gives donald trump fuel for his rhetoric and narrative that the democrats are against him and against the american voters ? against him and against the american voters? right, and if he gets acquitted in the senate he can say it was all a witchhunt, i was acquitted and i did nothing wrong at if they hang onto it and do not allow the next step, it is hanging over his head for the next year. clearly american politics is extremely partisan at the moment. how is that part affecting us missions more widely abroad? us missions more widely abroad? us missions around the world are focused on promoting us foreign policy and supporting our national security and economic prosperity. we

don't get involved as diplomats in us domestic politics. what is difficult is donald trump's unpredictability. i think he is a lwa ys unpredictability. i think he is always looking to distract attention from what is happening in washington and that can play out in difficult ways at us missions overseas. you said you were dismissed from your role in the london embassy because you gave a speech in which you complimented barack obama. you gave a speech in which you complimented barack obamali you gave a speech in which you complimented barack obama. i didn't even complement president obama, i imagined an anecdote that involved him. that could be seen as complementary, i guess? yes, u nfortu nately complementary, i guess? yes, unfortunately our complementary, i guess? yes, u nfortu nately our system complementary, i guess? yes, unfortunately our system has become much more partisan than in the past. ultimately, what is your best guess on whether those articles of impeachment will be forwarded and whether a trial will happen or not in the new year? i guess they will be forwarded. as attractive as the idea is of holding this over the president's head, i think there will bea president's head, i think there will be a lot of pressure to wrap this

up. this is a negotiating tactic for nancy pelosi to make sure that, in her mind, the senate hearing will be fairandi her mind, the senate hearing will be fairand i think her mind, the senate hearing will be fair and i think once she is convinced that is the case, they will forward the articles and the senate will acquit very quickly i think. you took about 90 policy and whether the senate will be fair, senate leaders have already indicated they are not going to try to ta ke indicated they are not going to try to take an independent stance on this. that if the argument for not forwarding it, that if they have already made up their mind and publicly said they will not approach it with an open mind and hear the evidence, why even bother sending it to them? good to have your thoughts here on that story this morning, thank you very much. the nhs will be at the centre of the queen's speech today, as the conservative government sets out its legislative agenda for the year ahead. her majesty will outline what the government wants to achieve, including an extra £39 billion per year for the nhs in england.

it also includes more money per pupilfor schools in england, as well as legislation on the uk's future relationship with the eu, which is due to be agreed by the end of december next year. the ceremony itself will be more low key than previous ones, with cars used instead of carriages and the monarch wearing a hat instead of a crown. norman smith, our chief political correspondent, joins me live now from downing street. good morning, it has not been that long since the last one so it is going to sound pretty familiar?l lot of it will be the same. i think the two big themes we will take from today, one is trust and the second is action stations. trust in the sense that many of the measures will be designed to reassure those labour attempt to —— those labour voters who turned out for borisjohnson that they were right to put their faith in him so there will be a big

load of cash for the nhs which will be enshrined in law and there will be enshrined in law and there will bea be enshrined in law and there will be a smattering of other measures for the health service, scrapping hospital car parking charges for night staff, an independent body to monitor patient safety, and a fast track system to make it easier for doctors and nurses to come in from abroad. all that is i say, i'm not going to flog off the nhs, it will not be privatised, it's in my hands. the second part of the quinton speech is that mag the queen's speech is that mag the queen's speech is that mag the queen's speech is action stations. things will now start to move. we have got quite a packed queen's speech with a long list of proposals, a lot of them geared to helping communities outside london but they are talking about a transformational structure programme which i guess means road and railand programme which i guess means road and rail and bridges programme which i guess means road and railand bridges in programme which i guess means road and rail and bridges in the north and rail and bridges in the north and midlands and there also talking about raising the spending on school

pupils. again, outside london. there isa pupils. again, outside london. there is a long list of measures and that is a long list of measures and that is just is a long list of measures and that isjust designed is a long list of measures and that is just designed to say to people, after the inactivity and stasis of the past three years, this government is now actually going to start addressing some of the difficulty faced. and speaking of long list, we have had a long list of people telling us for some time that if the government is really going to sort out the nhs, it has to sort out social care as well. is there going to be much on that specifically in this queen's speech? i think you are right to identify that, it remained the gaping black hole in the action plan because all we get on social care is an extra £1 billion a year which is welcome by the social care sector but does not go anywhere to address the real profound problems facing social care, and a commitment to try and form some sort of cross party consensus to work out a plan, which mrjohnson says should incorporate

not forcing people to flog off their houses put the trouble is, the problems facing people who have relatives or family in the care system is now and today and has been going on for years and we know it we are in the middle of a care crisis. it needs a priority focus and the second thing, if you want to bolster the nhs, you cannot do so unless you address social care because they are interwoven. the pressure is on the nhs largely come from an ageing population and if you don't have sufficient care workers and staff to help them in their homes or indeed if they don't have access to care homes, where do they end up? in hospitals which crowds out other people from having beds. social care is absolutely integral to addressing the problems of the nhs and i think that will be a key point of criticism around the queen's speech today. norman, for the moment, thank you very much. we will have special coverage of the queen's speech here

on bbc news today. the scottish first minister, nicola sturgeon, will set out more details this morning for her case for a second independence referendum. the snp leader believes she has a clear case for another vote following her party's success in last week's election. the government says they will not be supporting her plan. let's speak now to our scotland correspondent, lorna gordon. how much room does nicola sturgeon have fought manoeuvre on this? it's tricky. shortly we will hear her set out here at her official residence what she calls the detailed democratic case for a transfer of power to the scottish parliament, allowing them to hold a second referendum on scotland to's future. but as you say, the westminster government says that isn't going to happen. there is this impasse, a

stand—off if you like, and it is ha rd to stand—off if you like, and it is hard to see where we go from here. there are rumours and speculation that perhaps they could be a legal challenge further down the road to try to make this happen, but for now i think what nicola sturgeon is trying to do is build up the argument, make a rallying call and saying to scots, come with me, trying to increase the pressure on westminster to change its position going forward. there has been a su btle going forward. there has been a subtle shift in her argument could she support independence but she says this is not necessarily about that, it is about scotland's right to choose and she wants to bring other scots, those are not necessarily on board with the idea of independence for scotland, she wa nts to of independence for scotland, she wants to bring them on—board with the of another referendum on scotland's‘s future. the of another referendum on scotland's's future. 0k, thank you for that. we can look at the scene

there in edinburgh which is where we expect nicola sturgeon to make her speech very shortly. we are keeping an eye on the movement to see if it is imminentand an eye on the movement to see if it is imminent and we think it might be a bit but we will try to bring you a couple of other stores and come back to that as soon as it begins. shadow foreign secretary emily thornberry has defended the labour manifesto despite the party facing the biggest defeat since 1935. ms thornberry says she is the best candidate to become the next labour leader because she comes from the heart of the party and says the labour manifesto is a "unifying document", but it overwhelmed the public. i don't fundamentally believe that the manifesto that we put forward was wrong, i can't look at anything in the manifesto and say, we shouldn't have had that. i think the criticism is that there was so much in it and we didn't really prioritise what it was that our main four or five things that we wanted to put before the public. a state of emergency has been declared in parts of australia

as more than 100 bushfires continue to burn and temperatures hit a record high. forecasters are predicting highs of nearly 50 degrees celsius by the end of the week. it's feared the soaring heat will make it difficult for the thousands of firefighters trying to bring the blazes under control. our correspondent phil mercer reports from the blue mountains just outside sydney. these are the blue mountains, to the west of sydney, and the smoke you can see behind me is coming from two major fires that rage out of control. apologies, we are going to bute house to hear from apologies, we are going to bute house to hearfrom nicola sturgeon setting up a case for a second independence referendum. consider instead some fundamental questions. this is such a time for scotland. the experience of the last three and a half yea rs

the experience of the last three and a half years have raised big questions about how we see ourselves asa questions about how we see ourselves as a country and our place in the world but it has raised questions about our voice and our democracy and about our future. what kind of country and society do we want to be? at the heart of these questions isa be? at the heart of these questions is a belief held by almost everyone in scotland that we are a nation, no better or worse than any other, but an equal nation. and, as a nation, our future, whatever we choose that to be, must be in the hands of the people who live here. we can choose to stay part of the westminster union or we can choose, as i would, to be independent. choice must be ours. today i am publishing the constitutional and democratic case for scotland having that choice. it is rooted in the principle of self—determination, in the material

change of circumstances since the 2014 exercise of that right, and in the democratic mandate that exists for offering the choice of fresh. in a voluntary association of nations such as the uk, there cannot be in the interests of any part for a right to choose our own future to be conditional or time—limited or a one off. nor is it right for it to be overridden by a prime minister or indeed a first minister. it is a fundamental right of self—determination. the ability for scotla nd self—determination. the ability for scotland to exercise that right now matters because the alternative is a future that we have rejected being imposed upon us. scotland made very clear last week that it does not wa nt clear last week that it does not want a tory government led by boris johnson taking us out of europe and down a path that we have not chosen. but that is the future we face if we

don't have the opportunity to consider the alternative of independence. and it is a very different future to the one in prospect when scotland voted no to independence in 2014. there has been a material change in circumstances. there is also a democratic mandate to offer that choice. in the election last thursday, the snp campaigned explicitly on the clear pledge scotland's future should be in scotland's hands. our manifesto said this production and assembly election victory will be a clear instruction by the people of scotla nd instruction by the people of scotland that a new referendum on independence should be held next year on a precise date to be determined by the scottish parliament. the snp won that election convincingly, with a higher vote share and a higher percentage of seats that the conservatives won uk wide. the conservatives in

scotland, who campaigned relentlessly on the single issue of opposition to another referendum, lost, and they lost overwhelmingly. the snp victory last week follows others in 2016 and 2017. the mandate we have to offer at the scottish people a choice over their future is, by any normal standards of democracy, an arguable. let me be clear again today that i do not take the outcome of an independence referendum for granted. nor do i assume that everyone who voted snp last week necessarily support independence. i recognise the work we have to do to persuade a clear majority of people in scotland that independence is the best future for our country. that is why, in the months ahead, we will update the detailed and substantive case for scotla nd detailed and substantive case for scotland becoming an independent nation. and of course, in a referendum, those who believe that scotla nd referendum, those who believe that scotland should stay part of the

westminster union will be able to make that case. i accept that the case for independence is yet to be won, but the election last week put beyond any reasonable argument our mandate to offer people in scotland that choice. we built a coalition around this principle and now that the election is over, i believe an even broader coalition is being formed. and the right to choose its not just a demand formed. and the right to choose its notjust a demand from me as first minister or from notjust a demand from me as first minister orfrom the notjust a demand from me as first minister or from the snp. notjust a demand from me as first minister orfrom the snp. it is based on the solemn right of the people of scotland to decide our own future. the scottish government believes that right should be exercised free from the threat of legal challenge, in line with our values we acknowledge a referendum must be illegal and that it must be accepted as legitimate here in scotla nd accepted as legitimate here in scotland and the rest of the uk as well as in the european union and the wider international community. we are therefore today calling on the uk government to negotiate and agree the transfer of power that

would put beyond doubt the scottish parliament's would put beyond doubt the scottish pa rliament‘s right to would put beyond doubt the scottish parliament's right to legislate for a referendum on independence. together with the constitutional and democratic case for that transfer of power, we are also publishing the d raft power, we are also publishing the draft legislation that would give effect to that. of course i anticipate that, in the short term, we will simply hit a restatement of the uk government's opposition but they should be under no illusion that will be an end to the matter. we will continue to pursue the democratic case for scotland's right to choose, we will do so in a reasonable and considered manner. and we are setting out that case in detail because we believe that the uk government come on this as on any issue, as a duty to respond in a similarly considered and reasonable manner. of course, much of the debate at westminster has been based on the idea that it is the right of the westminster parliament, the prime minister of the day, not the

people who live here, to determine scotland's future. and that context, the question is often posed to me, what will you do if borisjohnson says no? as i've said before, i will consider all reasonable options to secure scotland's right to self—determination. in the new year i will ask the scottish parliament to back the case we are publishing today and we will work to grow and deepen the coalition of support for scotland's right to choose. the document we are publishing today turns that question on its head. it is for the prime minister to defend why he believes that the uk is not a volu nta ry why he believes that the uk is not a voluntary union of equal nations, it is for the prime minister to set out why he does not believe people in scotla nd why he does not believe people in scotland have the right to self—determination. it is for the prime minister to explain what he believes it is acceptable to ignore election after election in scotland and to override a democratic mandate stronger than the one he claims for his brexit deal. the conservatives'

only response to this so far has been the referendum result in 2014 but that they use that result to justify doing whatever they want to scotland, no matter what people here think and no matter how much damage they cause to peoples lives. the tories are in effect saying to people here that democracy in scotla nd people here that democracy in scotland stopped the day we voted no in 2014. that cannot and that will not hold. in 2014, a majority of people in scotland did indeed vote no to independence but in 2016, an overwhelming majority voted to remain in the european union. despite that overwhelming vote, within a matter of weeks the tories intend to remove scotland from the eu. the future of the people of scotla nd eu. the future of the people of scotland once chose is simply no longer available to them. but it is not just the fact that the tories wa nt to ta ke scotla nd not just the fact that the tories want to take scotland out of the eu against our will and contrary to the promises they made in 2014. they also dismissed a compromise proposal

to stay in the single market, they have taken powers away from the scottish parliament, threatening workers' rights and environmental standards, their migration policy will lead to a fault in our working population and hit our economy hard, a tory pub trade deal will leave our nhs at the mercy of us drug companies, their social security policy will drive many more children into poverty datum group tory trump trade deal put it they will impose damaging change, remaking ourfuture without our consent. all of this and more is being done against the wishes of the people in scotland. that is not a union worthy of the name and it is most certainly not a union of equals. it is instead a raw assertion at westminster control over scotla nd assertion at westminster control over scotland and it is not sustainable. the tory position will not prevail. democracy will prevail. today i urge people in scotland, regardless of our different views on independence to rally round the case

for scotland's right to choose, our right to self—determination. this is not the time for scotland to give up on recent and democratic argument. it is the time to pursue it even more confidently. let's assert our rights as an equal elation and partner, let's imagine a better country, a scotland which is at the heart of europe, a welcoming outward —looking nation, a country where we get the governments we voted for. a scotla nd get the governments we voted for. a scotland with full powers to lift children out of poverty, create a fairer country and a more prosperous economy. a better future fairer country and a more prosperous economy. a betterfuture is possible. and it is our future that is on the line. we have the right to decide what it should be. just as we did back in the 1990s to break tory opposition and win a scottish parliament, let us now come together under the banner of our right to self—determination, and let us put

scotland's future firmly into scotland's future firmly into scotland's hands. thank you very much indeed and i'm happy to answer questions. thank you, sarah smith from the bbc. you have set out your case for why the prime minister or to transfer powers but if the primers that refused to transfer the powers you want, you could be stuck ina powers you want, you could be stuck in a constitutional stand—off for five years before you could have a referendum. that's not my intention andi referendum. that's not my intention and i don't think that is what will happen. i'm very firmly choosing not to get drawn on what i will do if the prime minister acts completely unreasonably put it suffice to say of course i have considered all reasonable options and will continue to do so. but i have always thought that this is even more legitimate in the days after such an emphatic election win for my party. i think it is reasonable for me to stand on the ground up expecting that election victory and that mandate to be respected. and if i look, as i

hope i do, relaxed about this, it's because i also know that the more a tory government seeks to block the will of the scottish people, the more they show complete and utter co nte m pt more they show complete and utter contempt for scottish democracy, more support for independence will rise. their short—term strategy, in my view, so is the seeds of the longer term defeat. it is self—defeating but it will not hold because it is not a democratic position but i think we see the tectonic plates of this shifting already in the days since the election so i will stand my ground. i fully expect today we will get the flat note of tory westminster opposition but that is not the end of the matter and borisjohnson should not be under any illusion that it is. you have acknowledged in the past that some of your supporters are getting restless, that they are done with considered and reasonable. you mentioned you had some options to consider within

that reasonable pantheon but i'm puzzled as to what they might be. you rule out an unofficial referendum and presumably civil disobedience so what have you got any armoury? if it has to, and i don't think that should be necessary , don't think that should be necessary, then i will reveal the steps i will take as they fall to be taken. but i will act reasonably and ina taken. but i will act reasonably and in a considered manner. don't loose sight of a packed... are not simply firing off a letter to boris johnson, i'm publishing a detailed, considered case. governments have a duty to act reasonably, a duty to behave in a considered and reasonable manner and i would expect the prime minister to do that put it when i spoke to him on friday night, a sleep deprived conversation on both sides i think, of course reiterated his opposition to independence and a referendum but he also committed to engaging seriously with the proposals we would put forward and i would expect him to do that. i made point again, i think

everybody in scotland knows on the street to use the colloquial term, know there will be an independence referendum because you can't stand in the wake of the right people are scot did choose their future and i think the decision for the tories is whether they willingly and in a reasonable fashion as was the case in 2014, accept that, or do they seek to block that in a way that frankly makes my job seek to block that in a way that frankly makes myjob easier in convincing people that the right future for scotland is to be independent? to get what you wanted on brexit, borisjohnson forced a general election point you could force a scottish election to get what you want and maybe get it in 2020, couldn't you ? what you want and maybe get it in 2020, couldn't you? that's not my plan, i will consider all options and set these out as and when and if they fall to be taken. suffice to say i have other enjoyed recent elections and would relish any opportunity to put the snp case but