# at first i was afraid, i was petrified # kept thinking i could never live... today we bring you gloria gaynor and jo coburn. great to be here. adam is on his holidays and we got an upgrade and you brought speakers. they are not as good as ours but they're not bad. i think they go well together. gloria gaynor is featured in the news, courtesy of the new director of communications at downing street, he gave an interview to a welsh language magazine about the whole business of him going in to see the prime minister to get him to sign on the dotted line. and how they broke into song after ghetto harry said, i am reporting for duty and then said, would you survive ?

the prime minister said, i will survive. off they went, and later on in the interview, he said, 90% of our time was talk about the serious business of government but there was a crucial line where he said, the prime minister is not a complete clown, which is reassuring. 90% of the time on politics live is serious. but we couldn't not ask dan hannan and arlene foster whether or not the prime minister had ever sung to them. let's listen to what she said. i can think of the time but the prime minister sang come on, arlene to me, i take on the decks is midnight runners on. did you cringe? dan is right, the pm is someone who has a sense of fun but, even in that piece he read out, he knows to get on with thejob.

no more singing, we promise, in the rest of this edition of newscast. hello, it's chris in the studio. no more singing, we promise, in the rest of this edition of newscast. hello, it's chris in the studio. it'sjo in the studio. and laura in an empty —looking nato headquarters in brussels. has everybody gone home? i think they have, which, given we are in the middle of quite a big crisis we will be talking about, it feels like we are the only people here, so i hope i don't get locked in. it's nice to have you with us, jo. i normally sit next to you on a wednesday, so nice to have you with

us on newscast. you're used to dealing with people who'd say lots about politics and took cross each other so so you'll be at home. we are going to talk about international diplomacy. the focus on newscast for the last many weeks with politics has been all the domestic stuff and the parties and all of that and right now, in the middle of this big discussion about ukraine, and russia and what the west does, as all of these troops start messing on the russian side of the border with ukraine. laura, you have seen the diplomacy playing out today, with the prime minister and keir starmer heading to nato, and then the prime minister hopping on to warsaw as well. yes, tonnes of it, and don't forget the defence secretary, ben wallace, and liz truss

both in moscow. it's been a day where you have seen uk leaders trying to get to grips with what's been building up for a long time, but really worrying situation. we've got more than 100,000 russian troops all parked up on the border with ukraine and, given the history and tensions in the region, massive nerves about what that might mean for that country, which is a partner, although not a former ally of nato. that matters because nato, the north atlantic treaty 0rganisation, hope i got that right, is like a club where, if one country is attacked or threatened, everybody else piled in, that's the deal. ukraine is in an unusual position where they are not a full member but they are a partner, so you have these western leaders queueing up to say to russia, we are watching and taking this seriously, we are doing things. the uk is sending another thousand troops to be ready in the region in case the worst

happens and there is a big humanitarian crisis. if you listen to the prime minister today at a press conference this morning, he sounded pretty clear that this is reaching some kind of climax, which might not be a happy one. 0ur intelligence, i am afraid to say, remains grim and we are seeing the massing of huge numbers of tactical battalion groups on the borders of ukraine, 70 or more. this is probably the most dangerous moment, i would say, and the course of the next few days, in what is the biggest security crisis that europe has faced decades. what is interesting is this idea that the government would very much like everybody, especially us in the media, - to focus on what's going -

on and what the government is doing insofar as. diplomatically russia and ukraine and forget to some extent what is going _ on at home, parties, - events, metropolitan police investigations. this idea that actually two things can't be i looked at same time. yes, there has been tonnes of frustration in government from ministers publicly and privately and a lot of irritation that they haven't been able to get their public appetite and public attention focused on something that is really, really serious. but there is real concern in the conservative party about what's been happening, and we have been talking about that at length, with official investigations and a police inquiry.

you can't ignore things that are happening domestically and i wonder if that is a reason why the prime minister decided to come here today and then go on to poland, because the trip was arranged quite last minute, as i am told, and it's a very difficult problem for any leaders in the west grapple with, but i think people in government might be thinking at least today they have been able to get more focus onto what is a very serious issue. and the labour leader, i sir keir starmer, was also in town, and you spoke to him. yes, and it's a fascinating moment. viewers will remember that, through jeremy corbyn�*s leadership, there was a running sore between different sides of the labour party over his attitude to defence and nato, this organisation, and his membership for a long time, or his support and backing for a group called stop the war, who were very against the iraq war, three against conflict of a certain kind, and a group thatjeremy corbyn is going along to a rally

to speak at tonight. that running sore is something that i think keir starmer hasn't really addressed, because there have been other issues going on during his leadership, the pandemic and everything happening at downing street and those things, and he used today to come here notjust to say, i backed the government approach on ukraine, i am worried about it, labour stands with the government, but also to roll—out a great big banner that says, by the way, i didn't agree with whatjeremy corbyn said about all of this stuff, and he couldn't have been plainer. the other thing he told me which alsojeremy corbyn used to not say was that he would, in certain circumstances, be willing to press the nuclear button, but he didn't seem happy to talk about that. let's listen.

anybody serious about leading our country wouldn't enter into a discussion about the circumstances for using the nuclear deterrent. there is a principle here. i believe in the deterrent, of course, but getting drawn into a discussion about the circumstances in which it would be used is only something that don't aspire to be prime minister or are not serious about being prime minister would do. by saying you believe in it deterrent you would in principle be willing to push the nuclear button, and that is a question many politicians have answered? i have voted for the deterrent and i have voice been clear about that. plan and we have had diplomacy in moscow, so notjust the foreign secretary meeting sergei lavrov, a russian - opposite number, and what a fascinating was that inevitably for us journalistically we don't get to see first—hand diplomacy behind closed doors, so we can only ever see diplomacy in front of the cameras, which is only ever part of what happens, but the frosting is between liz truss

and sergei lavrov, and that maybe it's mutually beneficial that they both appear frosty in public, but nonetheless, even diplomacy is the art of trying to smooth things over, it doesn't feel very smooth. it certainly didn't. sergei lavrov and forgive me for not knowing the precise russian translation, but after talks he said it had been a dialogue like the death and the dumb trying to understand each other and suggesting liz truss hadn't listened to a word he had said and then he walked off leaving her at the lectern. very hard to tell what's gone on for the especially something that russia and the uk, because the briefings from both sides from completely different universes. but it's perilous, isn't it? i agree, i think they had an important domestic. audience on both sides, - to look tough, because i think

boris johnson and liz truss. have rather enjoyed the idea thatjens stoltenberg i said again today, the uk have been so strong, - the nato boss, saying we very much appreciate the robust stance by boris johnson - and the uk government, - so perhaps there was a little bit of theatrics on both sides, but, laura, you are right. - this is very much looking into the precipice at thisl stage, everyone saying, you know, we are not. going to invade ukraine, - and nato and the uk and other allies more strongly sane . than perhaps the germans, don't do it and, if you do, there will be terrible - consequences. putin is a leader and creation of the early 21st—century. he is not somebody who sticks to traditional rules, which means that the western leaders are trying to patch together a united front with lots of fine words on diplomatic stages, but the real problem for them

is they have no idea what he is really going to do next, and he'sjust enjoying, it seems, having everybody dangling, knowing that it's a danger rating uncertainty and discord. laura, i am worried you are going to get knocked in at nato and not re—emerge until monday morning. —— locked in. i'm a bit worried about missing my train so i'm going to go! we have david lammy, shadow foreign secretary. hello. we will start with ukraine, picking up on the conversation we have been having with laura and particularly with your shadow foreign secretary at on. i wonder how you reflect on where we are with

the imminence of conflict? we have got a situation where you have russia's same, we cannot possibly stomach the idea of our near neighbour, ukraine, everjoining nato, and ukraine saying, we are a sovereign country so we should have the right to do that if we want, and you wonder how either side can climb down. it's a major moment. i mean, i feel very privileged to have this role but, as part of this role, on issues as serious as this, myself, keir starmer, john healey, who shadow for us on defence, we get high—level briefings from the ministry of defence officials, foreign office officials and our intelligence services, and you are immediately impressed by the details and the expertise, and clearly, when borisjohnson says the situation is pretty grim, he is right about that, and it's very worrying, because we haven't seen anything like this really since the end of the cold war.

we all want diplomacy to work, and we have seen a lot of shuttle diplomacy this week, with macron in russia and shorts in washington and boris in poland, so there is a lot going on to try and de—escalate this but, at the same time, the truth is, while we are speaking, that 100,000 troops has grown. i wonder where the real view is for you and keir starmer of nato. is it the view from the last election campaign, under jeremy corbyn, or is it the view now? there is a big change. we did have a commitment to nato in our last manifesto, but clearlyjeremy corbyn himself had a history in relation to nato, and i understand he is at an event tonight... plan, yes, stop the war event.

where he is questioning nato, and i think it's dangerous, playing into the russian framing of this. let's be clear, nato is an alliance of countries that was set up after the second world war that really helped initiate and broadly maintain peace in europe, and it's a defensive alliance. it's incredibly dangerous to give the impression that nato is responsible for this aggression when it's not nato that is moving troops, it's vladimir putin that's moving troops, so of course it's a defensive alliance and we have to be really careful that we are not framing this in the way that vladimir putin wants and driving the division assists him and doesn't ultimately assist please. i want to talk to you about what happened the other night when you were with colours, —— you are with keir starmer and there was this mob in the street, anti—vax is originally, i think, but they latched on to you and keir starmer

and baroness smith, your lead in the lords, and i think we can some of what happened... overlapping shouting voices. shouts of traitor, some people were shouting jimmy savile, it was horrible. it seems trite to ask how it was, because it was obviously horrible, but tell us how it was to be surrounded by a mob shouting that kind of stuff. it was threatening and intimidating, it was nasty. it was mean and it was febrile. so that you worried that it could get seriously out of hand.

what i want to underline is that actually they were not that many police officers, we were walking down the embankment, they had been on the other side. definitely between the three politicians and the four police officers we were outnumbered. and the behaviour was very threatening indeed. chance of pedo and things, it took me back i think psychologically, to being the odd football game in the late 1970s and early 1980s with my dad where you suddenly felt, this is feeling scary. and that sort of thuggish behaviour was very far from my upbringing and you just get a bit frightened. it also took me back, i have got to say, very sadly to walking the streets in my own constituency during riots and knowing that moment when a crowd can turn very nasty things can get out of hand. i don't want to say that we were under threat because the police were there and they guided us out, but you saw in the way that they rushed out keir starmer that it

was pretty terms. has it made you rethink anything in terms of what you do around westminster? no. i get so many threats and death threats now. i have got to use to this, but it would be important for me to say, my family has got them. i am pretty, you can take the boy out of tottenham, but you cannot take the tottenham out of the boy! i was impressed at how well—behaved i was because that was not entirely what was in my mind! what was in your mind? this early, when you're under attack, you want to repel your opponents, but i am fine. when you have heard government ministers say

there was no connection between what the prime minister said at the beginning of last week with his references tojimmy savile and keir starmer and what was then shouted at you and keir starmer, you say what? that is not the case. it is clear to me that the dark recesses of the dark web and the sort of far right internet are full of nasty conspiracy theories and slurs on the whole jimmy savile thing is one of them. i cannot think of a time in living memory when a british prime minister has pulled something from that dark, nasty fringe place into the mainstream and the only

example i can think of was donald trump when he would sometimes pull things into the mainstream of british politics and this is the danger of populism. itjust is and i am afraid borisjohnson is usually guilty of that and should apologise straightaway. frankly, why he is hanging out in the dark recesses of the far right web i have no idea, it is unsavoury and dangerous and we saw it was dangerous in the usa when we saw people try to sack capitol hill and it is equally dangerous hill. he has tried to clarify his comments although no intention of apologising. he was denying there was any sort of direct link, but when you're sitting here today, having outlined that experience, it clearly feels very different for you. populists never apologise

and they hate being unpopular and he is becoming unpopular, he will have to be dragged from office. this stuff usually ends badly, empirically, it isjust ugly, and it is not generally speaking part of our tradition, certainly in the mainstream, which is why i think people are turning away. i think that because, this was anti—vaccination protests, with all seriousness, we all know that there is a lot of mental health around at the moment, the lockdown, pressures in the economy, main that all sorts of people who might otherwise not get caught up in conspiracy stories can obsess over things. it isjust dangerous when the mainstream saves and whips this up and i think... you think there was something in that. you mentioned death threats, how many are you talking about? certainly five or six per year. and ones that are sufficiently credible so that the police are involved?

yeah, the police were involved and they are very good, but there are a few of us, i think, who have more than others and i am certainly one of them. the police do a good job of investigating and dealing with them where they can. some people have more than others, is there a racial element? there is obviously clearly for me. but i think that female mps can find themselves subjected to threats and very prominent members of parliament like the leader of the opposition. i don't think it is just specific to rise. can i go back to boris johnson being a populist. do you think there will be people out there who are listening and thinking, why have labour not got rid of him by now? we were trounced at the last general election. the conservatives have an 80 seat majority and in our system you have got to persuade conservative mps to vote with you if you were to bring

a vote of no—confidence to the house, i am not sure we have got the numbers, so in the end, in our system, this would be down the conservatives determining he is not a vote winner. if borisjohnson is as bad as you guys think he is, would it not be in your interest if he were still around at the next election so you could take him on at a general election rather than trying to get rid of him tomorrow? i think you have got to do the right thing and people have got to see you do the right thing. i don't think the public like that kind of crude political calculation. i genuinely, keir starmer, you know, his integrity matters to him. and his sense of right and wrong matters to him,

he has that kind of politician. do you think he needs to show a little bit more of himself, his personality, what he does outside politics, just so that people get to know who he is beyond the dispatch box, beyond that lawyer sort of outlook? i know him to have a pretty wicked sense of humour, to be fanatical about arsenal and spurs, he is a great family man, definitely someone you can have a beer with. a wicked sense of humour, iam intrigued, what is his line of humour? he tends to find the humour, in quite serious moments. it is not a sort of, not a blue humour, anything like that, not like frank dobson, the former mp. he was always telling rudejokes!

that is not keir starmer. he does find the funny side of quite serious moments. i think that probably in serious times, you know, the pandemic, living standards now being a real issue, the cost of living, you know, i think it is ok, actually, to be serious minded, the integrity thing, i think it is ok. let us have a listen to laura's chat with keir starmer, this is the kind of newscast bit that you would not hear on the main news bulletins. thank you for listening, bbc sounds is the place to subscribe to newscast and we will talk to you all again soon. goodbye. newscast.

newscast from the bbc. hello again. this time yesterday, we were looking at some hill snow in scotland causing a few issues on some of the higher scottish routes and some strong winds gusting 70 mph in the western isles. we had a covering of snow left over over the hills, and that was all courtesy of this area of cloud, an area of low pressure that's currently working across the north sea to bring some fairly windy weather to the netherlands through friday. out in the atlantic, meanwhile, we have the next weather system waiting to come in for the start of the weekend, but between that and that, we get that. it's an area of high pressure that's actually going to bring some fine weather our way for friday. 0ver recent hours, as that area of high pressure's been edging in closer, the number of showers we've seen has dwindled. still a few left over across northwestern areas, and with the combination of clear skies and light winds allowing a widespread frost, could be a few icy patches around. lowest temperatures in aberdeenshire getting down

to about —10 celsius. so, a freezing cold start to the day on friday, but some beautiful winter sunshine for most of you for most of the day. again, a few isolated showers coming and going across the northwest, and through the day, we're going to see the weather turn cloudier in northern ireland. temperatures — we're looking at highs close to the seasonal average for the time of year — perhaps six in glasgow, nine for cardiff and for london. there will be some rain developing friday night, and into saturday, that rain will be affecting parts of england and wales. doesn't reach the southeast of england and east anglia, where it will stay bright and breezy. there will be some fairly strong winds for many of us, but for scotland and northern ireland, frequent showers and some bright spells between the showers. temperatures a little bit higher, 8—10 degrees making it a mild day but perhaps not feeling so, given the strength of the winds. and talking of winds, this area of low pressure and on sunday is also set to bring more wet and windy weather our way. the wind may be a bit further northwards, but not reaching northern scotland, where there will be some showers around, otherwise the rain will be quite heavy in the winds will be a windy day, gales across other parts of england and wales into the english channel, cost around 50 or 60 miles an hour.

strong enough to bring a few tree branches and some localised disruption on sunday from this system. next week looks pretty unsettled as well, often wet and windy, but it does turn very mild for a time. that's your weather.

welcome to bbc news. i'm simon pusey. our top stories. president biden tells us citizens to leave ukraine now, warning "things could go crazy quickly" britain's most senior police officer, cressida dick, is to step down after the mayor of london said he had no confidence in her leadership. canadian truckers block more border crossings to the us in their protest over covid restrictions, with the economy now counting the cost. a coronavirus scare for the queen. prince charles tests positive two days after meeting the monarch. as with all the medical or health related matters, buckingham palace is saying the absolute minimum. all the royal sources will say is that the queen is not displaying any symptoms of covid.