it says detectives at scotland yard are preparing to investigate the claim that lord lucan is alive and living in australia. i have leave you to cogitate on that particular thought. let's start with slightly more serious matters and h52, the financial times, one of a couple of papers leading with it the story that the h52 future clear as such he javed the chancellor throws support behind £88 billion rail project. —— sajid javid. that but we were announcing an announcement on this way. is this leading quiz above there is a crunch meeting at number ten tomorrow to discuss the details whether this can go forward. ten tomorrow to discuss the details whether this can go forwardm ten tomorrow to discuss the details whether this can go forward. it is my understanding that we are not likely to have confirmation of that decision until, certainly not this week going into next week now. it is a key meeting and one of the key

players is the chancellor because the cost has spiralled beyond the £36 billion, almost triple now. there is a concern it will spiral further and sajid javid who initially supported hsz, his consistency would benefit, has been a bit more cautious about it since he took over as chancellor not least probably because treasury civil serva nts probably because treasury civil servants are concerned about where the money will come from to pay for it. it is felt over the past few weeks that politically it is impossible for boris johnson weeks that politically it is impossible for borisjohnson to do anything other than continue given he has made such a big show of levelling up the british economy and investing in infrastructure notjust in the north but to the north to cancel hs2 now despite the cost and uncertainty about it on the tory back benches would be a major breach of that first promise. not really any suppressant that sajid javid has got on board. katie, do you agree and is this both bits of h52 or is

this london to birmingham? they're still waiting to get the exact detail again because there is no formal decision. i think that when it came to hsz if you look the government commission before the government commission before the government which was helpful to the government which was helpful to the government because they get to go into an election not sing either way what they would say doing each as to but singing was under review, discussing what could, for somebody thought that you should do part two before part one. london to birmingham is the first one but given that boris johnson birmingham is the first one but given that borisjohnson has birmingham is the first one but given that boris johnson has focused so given that boris johnson has focused so much on his level up agenda, the fa ct so much on his level up agenda, the fact that he wants to the midlands... you could prioritise the second part going into other parts on the north end up instead. i think that the sense of speaking to figures is that phase one will happen. london to birmingham is important andl happen. london to birmingham is important and i think if you look at the economic value that is coming from this, one of the things the

treasury has struck by was terms of capacity in the first stage they think is crucial to the whole project. is it a shot that it looks like it is going ahead? number ten have been paving the groundwork for this for sometime. i think the fact that stephen the shadow—boxing secretary... and anthony which had been —— the shadow brexit secretary... they're not completely... it is not a shock that sajid javid has come around. he has been decisive, hasn't he? very decisive in these briefings. which we are also reading in the daily telegraph. excellent briefing from the treasury tonight, he such a job it since he took over has had to fight off these allegations that he is chancellor in name only and that he would do whatever he is told by the bosses at number ten and clearly from the ft and tow graph or be to

believe, than it is the other way around. —— the telegraph to be believed. the telegraph puts up a story doing the rounds of seeming that sajid javid has written to cabinet ministers for every department saying he wants to see where they would impose 5% budget cuts. he won't necessarily impose those cuts but ahead of the budget he wants to see where those would be and there is some suggestion that could be to find money because he is the one who has to make sure that the one who has to make sure that the figures add up to fund notjust the figures add up to fund notjust the h52 the figures add up to fund notjust the hs2 project but potentially a trans pen nine route as well across the north which was of northern mps and northern city mayors are crying out for. it's interesting when he supposed that suggest posing cuts of 596. supposed that suggest posing cuts of 5%. just three months before the election he said no different would be cut and and austerity. it's not like he may be taking away from

departments and it will be interesting to see how that goes down with the voters. awad of conservative mps would like hsz to be scrapped. there are some will be happy will be going ahead. part of people want to scrapped is because there is such a large pot of money that think of where elsa could go. the government pots are procedure and hsz could go up to 100 billion if you look at estimates. not only the money for hsz, but all these projects which in theory you could have ta ken projects which in theory you could have taken some of the hsz budget and moved it. you won't need! top of it. i think we're going to see yes department cuts but also in the budget at large, i think the treasury and number ten are thing about how you can raise revenue as well. if you're going to give it given it is always unpopular in greece with one group, the first year of a government which has got for years to an election to go has the best time to do it by think this will add pressure for the need to do that. let's turn to the eye, and of

the line for northern after years. this is of course the train operator which has been taken back into public hands by the transferred secretary. wake sajid javid being very decisive. what do you think, katy? a strong symphony government saying that northern rail does not deserve to be in charge of this any more. “— deserve to be in charge of this any more. —— statement from the government. you could say that you wa nt government. you could say that you want to be sending up for northern rail, you would be standing there for a long time. folder or customer satisfaction that comes at the bottom of the rankings and ever since they had to change the timetable for many issues, i think the decision to take it away will be popular but what does it actually mean? it means that the government is taking another franchise into public ownership at least briefly. i think there is a serious question in terms of how does the transferred secretary planned to make a franchise work in the way the

government sees it because labour party policy is to nationalise the rail. the tories are doing a pretty good job at doing that at the moment. despite having criticised it as some communist revolution... that is of they're trying to do here. it is of they're trying to do here. it is supposed to be a temporary measure but i think it will be interesting to see, it is easy to say that company should treat their companies —— copy should treat their customers well. i think the longer that these companies and rats stay in public or sure, the weaker the argument gets. i sorry to interrupt, mcafee. we spoke to rail expert earlier saying that northern have been making a lot of the savings and customers have been suffering but pa rt customers have been suffering but part of this is to do with lack of investment by the government in infrastructure. and that is what northern would say. because they have been dubbed northern fail saying that there has been a lack of

infrastructure investment which has led to delays across the network and not just the led to delays across the network and notjust the north. there's been this long—running industrial action from the rmt union which has also hindered they say their ability to deliver services effectively. those two problems, long—term infrastructure investment, union action are not going to go away because they are afraid. what they have found with other franchises they have taken over, they took over they have taken over, they took over the east coast line a couple years ago and that was supposed be temporary but it seems to be carrying on, it is that it is easier to get into these things than to get out of them. i think katy is right is that the government will have to look properly and i think they said they want to do this and the franchising process and how it works. let's move on to back to the telegraph. the pm will accept border checks to free britain from eu

rules. alongside a picture of nigel farage waving a flag in brussels today. katy i am interested, is borisjohnson today. katy i am interested, is boris johnson saying today. katy i am interested, is borisjohnson saying anything we have not heard him say before in this? i do not think it is surprising in some ways. i think they're exquisitely saying something to make a point. this is a speech borisjohnson is to make a point. this is a speech boris johnson is planning to make a point. this is a speech borisjohnson is planning to give next week and ultimately the point they are trying to make is we have all heard the premise stress say that you need to have the ability to diverge and not have to say online to eu standards. if you do diverge, then the eu will say you cannot have this smooth synchronised no checks between the countries of the border. the watchable conclusion to that is that there would be border checks. i think what borisjohnson that there would be border checks. i think what boris johnson and his team a try to point out by saying it is this, they are so serious about diverging, they —— if they have to

ta ke diverging, they —— if they have to take extra processes, doesn't it they are willing to do sub into an economic hit potentially. as soon as you have verified this, you can act costs, where it could have ramifications. but i think the point is that they are serious about diverging because i do not think there is a sense necessarily in the eu that they believe the uk wants to diverge because it could have a negative effect in some industries and the economy. i think this is trend show they are serious. the big m essa 9 es trend show they are serious. the big messages sovereignty is important. this feels a would a bit like if negotiation strategies. once we leave the european union, the hard work of trade talks over a future relationship begins. boris johnson wa nts to relationship begins. boris johnson wants to start that from a tough position because he needs to at some point make some compromises. we saw him when he was negotiating the

withdrawal agreement making compromises and ultimately breached some of his own redlines over the border and irish sea in particular to get out of that deal. he was prepared to ship then, it would not be surprising if he was prepared to ship now. equipped were not nigel farage and his flag? waving a flag in the european parliament in brussels, this was the final official duties yesterday for him and other british meps. a lot of meps and other british meps. a lot of meps currently out of a job but for some like nigel farage, this is what they want, and a happier time to finish... because this is what the campaign for. all the specs of party candidates said that they were voting in protest of the fact that the european parliament would still be there when they thought the uk should have already left. i think this is actually a very happy moment for all of these people and i think they feel vindicated. we must leave it there for now. that's it for the papers this hour.

pippa crerar and katy balls will be back at half past eleven for another look at the papers. i'll be back with tonight's headlines after the weather. hello there. wednesday was a day of contrasts across the country for england and wales decent sunny spells and it was milder. however a different story in the far north in scotland, we had persistent rain, a couple of inches in western scotland in 2a hours. this low pressure will be an issue into tomorrow but one unifying factor across the uk is a south—westerly flow will drive milderair south—westerly flow will drive milder air right across the country through the end of this week. what a difference a day makes. wednesday morning pretty much all of us were greeted by temperatures hovering around the freezing mark. thursday morning, we are going to see temperatures around seven or 8

degrees. it will be a mild, murky start. a lot of cloud and cloud thick enough for drizzle, misty conditions, a few showers in the south west and maybe some fog as well. rain still continues into scotla nd well. rain still continues into scotland although it drifts its way steadily north allowing for brighter conditions later in the afternoon. still pretty windy here with the rain but milderfor all. temperatures will peek widely into double digits by the end of the afternoon. highs ranging from ten to 14 afternoon. highs ranging from ten to 11! degrees. as you move out of thursday into friday, there is more wet weather to come. this weather front here with plenty of isobars so the wind strengthening and some of that rain could be quite heavy particularly on west facing coasts. we start off went and pretty windy with that. that rain will check its way eastwards and we can into a banner showers. by the end of the afternoon we are so going to seep for persistent wrinkling onto the north—west but again those

temperatures very respectable for this time of year. 8—11! degrees the overall high. i wish i could say the trend for the weekend quiet tends down but unfortunately it is not going to. low pressure neverfar away, plenty of fronts moving into the uk, as one clears away another replaces it. you can get the general just of the weather for the weekend. basically wherever you live is going to be showers or longer spells of rain through saturday and sunday. there will be some dry interludes from time to time. when that happens, it is going to continue to feel mild.

this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines at 11pm: as hundreds of britons wait to be flown home to face a period in quarantine, some of those affected complained of a chaotic process. i think it's been an absolute shambles to be honest with you. i don't think the government have really known what they've been doing. tonight, it's understood a planned flight to bring britons in wuhan back to the uk will not leave tomorrow as previously expected. our other main stories this evening: it's the end of the line for northern. the troubled rail operator is losing its franchise and being taken back into public hands at the beginning of march. it was like, you know, either you don't get on, it