a senior conservative mp warns the prime minister he must shape up or ship out as pressure mounts on his leadership. although many mps are still loyal, borisjohnson is told changes must be made. my constituents are upset, i feel like we've lost face and public trust with them, and we've got to gain that back. and the turmoil at number ten continues as a fifth downing street adviser resigns. we'll have all the latest from westminster. the energy regulator says it may start reviewing the price cap, which limits a typical household bill, every three months rather than the current six. the huge challenge of improving cancer care — the government promises a new ten year strategy for england. and the near impossible search for the greatest shipwreck — will ernest shackleton�*s endurance

be found? and coming up on the bbc news channel: with the opening ceremony due to get under way shortly the curling continues, team gb winning the latest round robin match in the next event. —— in the mix to events. good morning and welcome to an earlier than usual edition of the bbc�*s lunchtime news. the prime minister must "shape up or ship out" — that's what the senior conservative mp huw merriman told the bbc this morning, as questions continue about boris johnson's leadership. he is looking at how to rebuild his team after the resignation yesterday of four of his top aides. mps supportive of the prime minister are suggesting he's making necessary

staff changes following a damning report by the senior civil servant sue gray into rule—breaking parties at number ten during the pandemic. but munira mirza quit because of the prime minister's false claim that sir keir starmer failed to prosecutejimmy savile when he was director of public prosecutions. and this morning a fifth adviser has resigned, another member of the policy unit. our political correspondent nick eardley reports. another tape, another crisis. boris johnson has lost five members of his team just 2a hours —— another day, another crisis. including one of his longest serving allies. this is munira mirza, an aide to mrjohnson for 14 years. she quit yesterday, criticising her boss over incorrect

comments saying sir keir starmer was linked to the decision not to prosecute jimmy savile. linked to the decision not to prosecutejimmy savile. the prime minister's director of communications, his principal private secretary and chief of staff have also left, all three caught up in the party is southern but their departures leave big questions over the future direction of number ten —— caught up in the parties row. and elena narozanski hung up her gloves today, another member of the prime minister's policy unit. the today, another member of the prime minister's policy unit.— minister's policy unit. the prime minister's policy unit. the prime minister was _ minister's policy unit. the prime minister was clear _ minister's policy unit. the prime minister was clear in _ minister's policy unit. the prime minister was clear in its - minister's policy unit. the prime | minister was clear in its response to the sue gray update that there would be changes at number ten downing street. four people had served their country fantastically well, some during the whole pandemic, borisjohnson thanked them for their service, they have resigned and he has accepted. but this runs deeper, with the prime minister being criticised by some of his long serving allies. and there was this from the chancellor, a

frontrunner to replace mrjohnson. being honest, iwouldn�*t frontrunner to replace mrjohnson. being honest, i wouldn't have said it and _ being honest, i wouldn't have said it and i_ being honest, i wouldn't have said it and i that — being honest, i wouldn't have said it and i that the prime minister clarified — it and i that the prime minister clarified what he meant. a clarified what he meant. politician careful with his words, distancing himself from his boss's comments. among tory mps, growing frustration. i comments. among tory mps, growing frustration. ., ., , frustration. i am troubled, ifind it very upsetting. _ frustration. i am troubled, ifind it very upsetting, my _ frustration. i am troubled, i find i it very upsetting, my constituents are upset. ifeel we have it very upsetting, my constituents are upset. i feel we have lost faith and public trust with their majri had to get that back, but i would rather see what the prime minister can do to turn it around rather than acting with haste. irate can do to turn it around rather than acting with haste.— acting with haste. we want to see him to resign _ acting with haste. we want to see him to resign but _ acting with haste. we want to see him to resign but we _ acting with haste. we want to see him to resign but we do _ acting with haste. we want to see him to resign but we do not - acting with haste. we want to see him to resign but we do not think| him to resign but we do not think he has the _ him to resign but we do not think he has the scruple is to resign, despite all his transgressions, it is up to the conservative party to hear _ is up to the conservative party to hear what — is up to the conservative party to hear what people like munira mirza say, and _ hear what people like munira mirza say, and act. hear what people like munira mirza say. and act-— say, and act. boris johnson has tried to get _ say, and act. boris johnson has tried to get back— say, and act. boris johnson has tried to get back on _ say, and act. boris johnson has tried to get back on the - say, and act. boris johnson has tried to get back on the front . say, and act. boris johnson has. tried to get back on the front foot but it has not worked, there are still questions about his language, judgment and feature. nick is at

westminster, still pressure on number ten into the weekend? yes. number ten into the weekend? yes, and no sign — number ten into the weekend? yes, and no sign of— number ten into the weekend? yes and no sign of activating on number ten into the weekend? 12: and no sign of activating on boris johnson. he wants to talk about other things, that was the plan —— and no sign of that abating. he wanted to move on from the sue gray report but we keep coming back to different crises, concerns and problems the prime minister faces, which is frustrating and increasing number of conservative mps who are worried that one crisis just leads to another. remember it was boris johnson trying to get on the political front foot, johnson trying to get on the politicalfront foot, him johnson trying to get on the political front foot, him trying to be political in his response to the sue gray reported which he made those comments about the labour leader which had sparked a new round of controversy. that is the fear conservative mps have, we are stuck almost in a spiral of crises where there is issue after issue after issue distracting the prime

minister, distracting the government and distracting the conservative party too. the big question over the next few weeks and months perhaps is how many conservative mps think that means they can't support boris johnson as leader any more, a questions and have been asking for the last few weeks and now many more might be wondering if time has come for a change —— a question some have been asking for the last few weeks. thank you, nick eardley. the new conservative mp for southend west, anna firth, has promised to work tirelessly to build on the legacy of sir david amess. she won the by—election called after sir david was stabbed to death during constituency surgery last october. the other main parties didn't put up a candidate out of respect. the energy regulator ofgem says it's considering reviewing the energy price cap every three months to try to cope with the volatility in the market. the cap is currently assessed every six months, limiting what gas and electricity companies can charge a typical household. yesterday it was announced that the cap will rise in april, meaning an average household on a variable tariff

will see its bill rise by £693 a year to nearly £2,000. our business correspondent theo leggett reports. for hussain and halima master, who have three kids, rising energy bills means life is getting tougher. it's going up again, isn't it? yes. to 250. that's crazy, that. hussain has a full—time job but they are struggling to make ends meet. we have looked into the local food bank. 0n the weekends, they have it open to the public, where you pay a couple of pounds and fill your bags up. we have had a look at that and we have started to kind of use that. for many families like the masters, worse is to come. consumer prices are capped by regulator 0fgem. the cap is going up in april to reflect a big rise in the price suppliers have to pay for the energy they sell to us. it means some 22 million households will end up paying more.

we saw an extraordinary increase in gas and electricity prices at the end of last year, unprecedented. that was driven by global forces, the global gas market. so it's unavoidable in the short term that prices were going to go up. the government is trying to soften the blow. it will provide £200 towards each household's energy costs in october. the money will have to be paid back through bills later on. most households in england will also get a discount of £150 in april. it will be available for homes in council tax bands a to d and won't need to be repaid. critics say these measures simply don't go far enough to help vulnerable people at a time when the cost of living is already rising rapidly and household finances are under pressure. but the energy minister said £141; million was available to local authorities to support those in most need. there is that discretionary fund for local authorities to help those who, due to different circumstances,

might be in high band council tax properties or don't pay council tax. labour has described the government's actions as wholly inadequate. the party has called for a windfall tax on the profits of big energy companies, to help bring down bills and address what it calls our broken energy system. theo leggett, bbc news. the opening ceremony for the winter olympics begins in the next hour in beijing, with 50 athletes competing for team gb. but the games are being staged against a backdrop of covid, and tension around allegations of human rights abuses. 0ur sports correspondent laura scott is in beijing. laura? well, tonight beijing's laura? well, tonight bei'ing's officially become * laura? well, tonight bei'ing's officially become the _ laura? well, tonight beijing's officially become the third - laura? well, tonight beijing's| officially become the third city laura? well, tonight beijing's i officially become the third city to host both the summer and winter olympics. the countdown is nearly over, the temperature is fittingly

low and organisers hope tonight will be a celebration of the sport to come and shut out all the questions and scrutiny swirling around these games. we are back in the iconic birds nest stadium, scene of the 2008 opening ceremony, and you might be able to see the clusters of spectators being kept entirely separate from everyone involved in the games because of the closed—loop system put in place for the games due to covid, and the controversy of these 0lympics has highlighted by several countries including the uk and the us staging diplomatic boycotts over alleged human rights abuses by china, but significantly president xi of china will be joined tonight by the russian president bludgeoned me a putin in a significant move. 0n the sporting front, no signs yet of athlete boycotts and 3000 athletes from 91 countries are due to take part in

the games, buying for 109 gold medals. tonight we'll carve out a new chapter in sporting history, but a highly contentious one. laura scott, a highly contentious one. laura scott. thank — a highly contentious one. laura scott, thank you. _ a new motoring tax will be needed as drivers switch to electric vehicles, according to a cross party group of mps. the transport select committee says the uk faces a £35 billion hole in its finances if action isn't taken, because electric vehicles are currently not taxed. the mps have also suggested charging people based on how much driving they do. cancer charities have told the government that improving cancer care in the wake of the pandemic will be a huge challenge, as ministers promise a new ten year strategy for england. figures suggest there were 50,000 fewer cancer diagnoses across the uk since covid struck — that means there are likely to be more late diagnoses, which reduces someone's chance of survival. the other uk nations have their own plans for improving cancer services. 0ur health correspondent

katharine da costa reports. bryony thomas had suffered from severe fatigue and bloating for several years. then, in december 2019, she was rushed to hospital with jaundice. it was there she was given the devastating diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. the words that have been used for me were, "you might be operable." when i realised that what that meant was i was very likely to die and i was very likely to die very soon, i sobbed my heart out. when i asked, "if i don't get the surgery, how long do detecting cancer early means it is easier to treat. people are urged to look out for common symptoms, including diarrhoea lasting for three weeks or more, new lumps, and unexplained weight loss orfatigue. many cancer specialists are worried thousands of patients put off seeking help, or were unable to access care during the pandemic. inevitably, there has been a drop in people coming forward, and therefore in the type of cancers that unfortunately

kill people quite quickly, we have seen a drop in incidents of the cancers as well. so people have actually never been diagnosed with cancer and sadly may have died before they had even been diagnosed. that is purely because they haven't been seen in the secondary care sector when they have had their diagnosis. the government has already committed to new community diagnostic hubs, offering more scans and checks. the plans to go further by stepping up investment in new blood tests, vaccines and treatments, as well as boosting the cancer workforce. health secretary sajid javid is promising a ten—year war on cancer. we need a new national war on cancen — we need a new national war on cancen that _ we need a new national war on cancen that is _ we need a new national war on cancer. that is why— we need a new national war on cancer. that is why today - we need a new national war on cancer. that is why today on i we need a new national war on i cancer. that is why today on world cancer _ cancer. that is why today on world cancer day — cancer. that is why today on world cancer day i — cancer. that is why today on world cancer day i am _ cancer. that is why today on world cancer day i am introducing - cancer. that is why today on world cancer day i am introducing a - cancer. that is why today on world cancer day i am introducing a tenl cancer day i am introducing a ten year— cancer day i am introducing a ten year plan — cancer day i am introducing a ten year plan on _ cancer day i am introducing a ten year plan on cancer, _

cancer day i am introducing a ten year plan on cancer, about- cancer day i am introducing a ten year plan on cancer, about how . cancer day i am introducing a ten. year plan on cancer, about how we can do— year plan on cancer, about how we can do even— year plan on cancer, about how we can do even better— year plan on cancer, about how we can do even better prevention, - year plan on cancer, about how we i can do even better prevention, how we can— can do even better prevention, how we can do— can do even better prevention, how we can do much— can do even better prevention, how we can do much better— can do even better prevention, how we can do much better in _ can do even better prevention, how we can do much better in early- we can do much better in early diagnosis — we can do much better in early diagnosis and _ we can do much better in early diagnosis and how— we can do much better in early diagnosis and how we - we can do much better in early diagnosis and how we can - we can do much better in earlyl diagnosis and how we can make we can do much better in early- diagnosis and how we can make the very best _ diagnosis and how we can make the very best use — diagnosis and how we can make the very best use of— diagnosis and how we can make the very best use of cutting—edge - very best use of cutting—edge treatments _ charities welcome the ambition for cancer services but warn the plan needs to be backed by research, funding and extra staffing, or there is a danger progress will stall. catherine da costa, bbc news. the democratic unionist leader, sirjeffrey donaldson, has said it will be difficult for his party to form a devolved government in northern ireland after an election unless its concerns about brexit arrangements are dealt with. the dup's paul givan resigned yesterday as first minister, in protest at the trade border with the rest of the uk. 0ur ireland correspondent chris page is at stormont. tell us the very latest. well, northern _ tell us the very latest. well, northern ireland _ tell us the very latest. well, northern ireland is - tell us the very latest. well, northern ireland is this - tell us the very latest. well, . northern ireland is this morning without a first and deputy first

minister. the resignation took place at midnight. under the rules of power—sharing, that means the deputy first minister is automatically out of herjob first minister is automatically out of her job as first minister is automatically out of herjob as well. this morning attention is turning to the implications of all of that, for public services, policy plans and indeed for the long—term future of the devolved government based here at stormont. full given has resigned because as a member of the dup he is opposed to the brexit trading arrangements, known as a northern ireland protocol. that has brought in cheques from goods arriving in here from england, scotland and wales. the dup leader has done a round of interviews and he has said when a stormont election comes, it will be difficult to form a government unless the dup concerns are dealt with. an election is currently scheduled for the start of may. there is talk that under these circumstances it could be brought

forward. an expedition is setting off this weekend to try to find the shipwreck of the antartic explorer sir ernest shackleton. his vessel the endurance sank more than 100 years ago and is believed to be nearly two miles below sea level. 0ur science editor rebecca morelle has been to meet the team hoping to find the wreck. caught on camera more than 100 years ago. the final moments of the endurance. this footage restored and released by the bfi, shows sir ernest shackleton's famous ship as it was lost to the antarctic ice. there's the endurance. now a new expedition is attempting to locate the ship, but like shackleton, they'll face grueling conditions. the endurance is the... the most unreachable wreck in the world, and the big challenge is the ice. it's opening its clenching, its unclenching.

it's a really vicious, lethal environment. the agulhas ii is the icebreaker taking on that challenge? it will hunt for the wreck using the coordinates recorded by shackleton's crew. using the coordinates recorded the endurance lies 3,000 metres down, so the team will use underwater robots kitted out with sonar and cameras. the hope is that the wreck will be well preserved by the icy water and lack of organisms eating away at the wood. the objects that were rescued from the sinking endurance really give you a sense of what life was like on board. this is the sextant — crucial for navigating — and over here is a box of chocolates that was used as a payment between the crew for doing chores, like darning, socks. and up here, unbelievably, is a piece of the mast, probably the only relic of the ship that isn't at the bottom of the sea. it's a really important document for people going out looking today. shackleton's expedition diary

was also saved with his emotional entry on the day the ship was lost. "she went today. 5 pm. she went down by the head. the stern, the cause of all the trouble was the last to go underwater. i cannot write about it. sunday always seems the day on which things happen to us." you can read about how it was creaking. they talk to her and talk about her as a personality and the groaning and the sounds. there's this real kind of sense of what it felt like and what it sounded like and how crushed they were when the ship was crushed and sank as well. for shackleton's expedition, the loss of the endurance wasn't the end. the crew trekked across hundreds of miles of ice, rowed the weddell sea, and then climbed a mountain range to reach safety. miraculously, they all survived, but the ship that had been their home still lies in the icy depths,

silently waiting to be discovered. rebecca morelle, bbc news. time for a look at the weather, here's matt taylor. not starting at home. all the eyes will be on beijing in the next few hours. let's see what is happening. the very cold start for the winter olympics. —2 for the opening ceremony at the moment. it is dry, crucially try for the alpine events this weekend for the week ahead. the only snow would be of the artificial variety. 0rganisers casting an envious glance to our shores. there are lively snow showers around on the scottish borders, giving a covering in places. the odd shower in north—west england and the west of wales. they remain in east anglia is out of the door by lunchtime. it

has turned to sleet on the back edge. 0ne has turned to sleet on the back edge. one or two isolated showers. the odd rumble of thunder, all pushed along by a brisk wind which is adding to the chill today. colder than yesterday. other temperatures on the thermometer. school run, dog walk, this is what it will feel like sub zero. a cold evening ahead. the showers will fade for a time. more pushing into western scotland and northern ireland later put up before they arrive it will be a cold night with a touch of frost anywhere. whether showers linger if there could be ice around on saturday morning. a big winter storm the us. the southern edge, we will start to drag in milder atlantic air once again to england and wales before colder air returns to scotland and northern ireland later. we start saturday with a bright start for england and wales. a good bit of snow over the hills that are

outbreaks of rain sliding into england and north