arrive potentially during the will arrive potentially during the morning. not that heavy but there will be some nuisance rain around making it feel on the cool side. if you are setting off down to buckingham palace and close to westminster abbey and the mall this low pressure will move in during the early hours of saturday morning and continue to drift steadily north and east. forthe continue to drift steadily north and east. for the wider picture, plenty going off this weekend. it looks like the wettest of the weather potentially on saturday. sunday, fingers crossed, when most of the picnics and street parties are taking place, it looks better. dryer with a few light showers, good news for those at windsor castle. by sunday, sunshine and sharp showers are set to return. back to the here and now. moving to thursday, a brisk easterly breeze driving cloud across north—east england and eastern scotland. some sunshine for northern ireland, northern england and down into north wales and the south—east

corner. as we go through the day and to the south—west, showery outbreaks of rain arriving. the wind direction is still easterly and it looks likely the best of the sunshine will be across the south—east corner. we might see 19 or 20 degrees, still very nice indeed. as we move out of thursday into friday, that low pressure is going to push its way steadily northwards taking rain with it. plenty of showers tucking in behind. friday will see some persistent rain moving through north east scotland, sunny spells and scattered showers across england and wales, some of them heavy and thundery. but there will still be some sunshine and warmth so temperatures are likely to peak at around 19. thanks, louise. and that's bbc news at ten. there's more analysis of the day's main stories on newsnight with kirsty wark, which isjust getting underway on bbc two. so who gave the order?

if ukraine did launch the drones, what was the calculation? and what will putin do next? we'll be speaking to a ukrainian mp and a russia expert who works at the us military academy. also tonight, in an exclusive report newsnight reveals the extent of the failure of mental health support for woman during pregancy and in early motherhood. the biggest, most distressing symptom for me was intrusive thoughts. what were those intrusive thoughts saying? what was that experience like? they were quite violent thoughts of purposefully harming my baby and i was imagining myself doing the thing, those things, which was beyond scary.

we'll be joined by a consultant pyschiatrist to discuss attempts to improve support for mothers in northern ireland. ahead of tomorrow's local elections, nick has been surveying the politcal landscape from the heights of the red wall. can keir starmer take back territory which could lay the ground in key target seats at the next general election? hi, impressive carrying skills, right? i got some bud lights for us. and bud light... the beer which is frothing up the culture wars in america. we'll assess what risks brands face from so called anti—woke backlashes. good evening. "we don't attack putin or moscow." president zelensky�*s retort today to accusations by the kremlin of " a planned terrorist attack and an assasination attempt on the president," overnight, in an alleged drone stike. it's still unclear what actually happened, but it raises three

questions, how closely is president putin actually protected, how effective are russian air defences, and what will be russia's next move? a ukrainian presidential adviser mykailo podolyak told the bbc that the incident indicated russia could be preparing "a large—scale terrorist provocation" in ukraine. here's mark's anaylsis. it's an attack rich in symbolism. a drone, or missile, strikes the senate dome inside the kremlin. video reveals a clock showing it's 2.27am. then, 16 minutes later, a second strike goes in, apparently with the same aiming point. but this projectile arrives from a different direction. clocks show it happened at 2.43am. next week we have victory day, the russian celebrations, which is really the high holy day of putin's nationalist war cult, when, frankly, the senate house dome

would be visible in almost every single, sort of, tracking shot of red square during the parade that is, you know, such a mark of that. so in that respect, it really is symbolically the heart of putin's state. 0n the front lines in ukraine, fighting is intensifying as the seasons change. and both sides are jockeying for advantage. so why launch a symbolic attack so far away in moscow? the first word of it came from president putin's spokesman, claiming it was a terrorist attack, that it was aimed at him, but it had left him unscathed. but this strike, with small explosive charges, was never likely to hit putin. and russia's characterisation of it that way mayjust be a way of covering their embarrassment that it happened, and preparing the way for large—scale counterattacks. perhaps for that reason, president zelensky,

visiting finland today, denied responsibility for the strike. we don't attack putin or moscow. we fight on our territory. we are defending our villages and cities. we don't have, you know, enough weapons for these. last summer's hit on the kerch bridge was also called terrorism by the russians, and used as a pretext for large scale missile attacks on ukrainian civilian infrastructure. but did the ukrainians mount today's operation? a presidential adviser in kyiv tweeted, "ukraine wages "an exclusively defensive war and does not attack "targets on the territory of the russian federation". "what for"? "this does not solve any military issue, but it gives "the russian federation grounds

to justify its attacks on civilians". though he left open the possibility, "the emergence of unidentified "unmanned aerial vehicles at energy facilities or on kremlin's "territory can only indicate the guerrilla activities of local resistance forces". so, could ukraine actually be behind such covert operations? it's only a couple of weeks since a pentagon leak suggested exactly that. a belief in the us intelligence community that ukraine military intelligence was planning attacks in moscow, and american fears about the possible escalatory effect. we know, also, that last autumn the russians, concerned about possible aerial attacks, put anti—aircraft missiles on the roof of the defence ministry in moscow. so a ukrainian covert operation, possibly launching small drones quite close to the kremlin, seems like a most plausible explanation. zelensky clearly has said that it's

nothing to do with them, but nonetheless, this would make sense and it fits into a pattern. after all, we've known that the ukrainians have been developing longer range drones. and bit by bit, they have been getting closer to moscow. last month it was at kolomna, 100 kilometres away. last week, one of their drones went down about 25 kilometres away. so, this very much seems to be demonstrating that the ukrainians have the capacity. symbolically, just before victory day, again, that's, sort of, quite an important date. at the weekend, a ukrainian strike caused a huge fire in crimea. as it gears up for its summer offensive, the zelensky government is out to humiliate the russians, undermining their faith in the military, and demonstrating ukraine's ability to hit vital targets. lesia vasylenko is a ukrainian mp and dr robert person is associate professor in international relations at the us military academy at west point, although he does not speak on behalf of the us armed forces.

good evening to both of you. first of all, lizzie basil inco, where were you when you heard about the strike? i were you when you heard about the strike? . , ., , strike? i was actually in parliament. _ strike? i was actually in parliament. today - strike? i was actually in parliament. today was | strike? i was actually in i parliament. today was the strike? i was actually in - parliament. today was the day of parliamentary sittings. i was among colleagues and the video started circulating on telegram channels and through political party communication channels, so it was quite an interesting thing to share with colleagues. but quite an interesting thing to share with colleagues.— with colleagues. but of course ukraine has — with colleagues. but of course ukraine has got _ with colleagues. but of course ukraine has got form - with colleagues. but of course ukraine has got form on - with colleagues. but of course ukraine has got form on this, | with colleagues. but of course i ukraine has got form on this, the 22nd of february, anniversary of the work, ukrainians were about to launch drone strikes on moscow when the us stopped that, that is in the pentagon leaks, so it is perfectly feasible. that ukraine could have been doing this now. i feasible. that ukraine could have been doing this now.— feasible. that ukraine could have been doing this now. i don't think it is feasible. _

been doing this now. i don't think it is feasible. i _ been doing this now. i don't think it is feasible. i will _ been doing this now. i don't think it is feasible. i will repeat - been doing this now. i don't think it is feasible. i will repeat the - it is feasible. i will repeat the words of president zelensky, we have enough on our hands, we have the russian troops stationed in ukraine and ukrainian territory and we don't have enough weapons to fight them off efficiently and quickly enough to flee and liberate all of our territories, so there is no resources that we can waste and that we would actually waste to hit russia and russian territories. all ukrainians want is to free our territories and continue existing as an independent country and this is where were focuses and where of the military aid is going and where all our military resources are going. dr robert person, what do you think is the most likely explanation for this? i the most likely explanation for this? , , , the most likely explanation for this? , _ ., this? i will begin by noting there is so much _ this? i will begin by noting there is so much uncertainty _ this? i will begin by noting there is so much uncertainty about - this? i will begin by noting there l is so much uncertainty about what actually _ is so much uncertainty about what actually happened and at this point lots of— actually happened and at this point lots of speculation of course from

the kremlin. we are hearing it was a supposed _ the kremlin. we are hearing it was a supposed assassination attempt on president _ supposed assassination attempt on president putin. i think that doesn't _ president putin. i think that doesn't hold up at any scrutiny, perhaps— doesn't hold up at any scrutiny, perhaps demonstrative effect by the ukrainians, a warning that we can reach _ ukrainians, a warning that we can reach as_ ukrainians, a warning that we can reach as far— ukrainians, a warning that we can reach as far as the kremlin. i think there _ reach as far as the kremlin. i think there are _ reach as far as the kremlin. i think there are some flaws in the logic of that explanation. the idea that it could _ that explanation. the idea that it could be — that explanation. the idea that it could be a — that explanation. the idea that it could be a russian. like operation -- full_ could be a russian. like operation -- futt flag, — could be a russian. like operation —— full flag, there are impossibilities about that because it potentially reveals a significant kremtin— it potentially reveals a significant kremlin weakness and embarrassing moment— kremlin weakness and embarrassing moment for the putin regime, beyond that we _ moment for the putin regime, beyond that we can _ moment for the putin regime, beyond that we can come up with plausible but some _ that we can come up with plausible but some far—fetched scenarios about hon-state _ but some far—fetched scenarios about non—state actors and some reality is there _ non—state actors and some reality is there are _ non—state actors and some reality is there are lots of possibilities but

very little — there are lots of possibilities but very little concrete evidence to suggest — very little concrete evidence to suggest who's behind this. ukraine was auoin suggest who's behind this. ukraine was going to _ suggest who's behind this. ukraine was going to launch _ suggest who's behind this. ukraine was going to launch a _ suggest who's behind this. ukraine was going to launch a missile, - was going to launch a missile, drone strike on moscow but the american stopped on the 21st of february, no one is saying these drums have to be sent from a great distance, it is perfectly possible the drones were launched locally in moscow by ukrainians or indeed by russian opposition forces.— ukrainians or indeed by russian opposition forces. exactly and so we can certainly — opposition forces. exactly and so we can certainly come _ opposition forces. exactly and so we can certainly come up _ opposition forces. exactly and so we can certainly come up with - opposition forces. exactly and so we can certainly come up with some - can certainly come up with some possibilities, hypotheses about non—state groups and actors, perhaps those _ non—state groups and actors, perhaps those acting _ non—state groups and actors, perhaps those acting in favour of ukraine, another— those acting in favour of ukraine, another scenario i have seen speculated on is that perhaps this was a _ speculated on is that perhaps this was a group or an actor from the extreme — was a group or an actor from the extreme russian nationalist wing of the political spectrum. they have been _ the political spectrum. they have been notoriously frustrated with the outcome _ been notoriously frustrated with the outcome of the war and have pressured the kremlin to escalate and so _ pressured the kremlin to escalate and so is — pressured the kremlin to escalate and so is it— pressured the kremlin to escalate and so is it also conceivable they could _ and so is it also conceivable they could have —

and so is it also conceivable they could have lodged this to try to force _ could have lodged this to try to force putin's and into a more drastic— force putin's and into a more drastic response?— force putin's and into a more drastic response? lesia, we don't know what _ drastic response? lesia, we don't know what happened _ drastic response? lesia, we don't know what happened but - drastic response? lesia, we don't know what happened but no - drastic response? lesia, we don't i know what happened but no matter what archie going to face more rat from putin? we werejust what archie going to face more rat from putin? we were just saying what archie going to face more rat from putin? we werejust saying no to go, he doesn't need any more excuse for violence so that is a strange thought that it was indeed russia that did a false flag attack so either way whether it is ukrainians acting alone without the say—so of president zelensky or if it is officially the ukrainians, no matter what, what are you expecting in retaliation from putin? to matter what, what are you expecting in retaliation from putin?— in retaliation from putin? to be honest there _ in retaliation from putin? to be honest there weren't _ in retaliation from putin? to be honest there weren't attacks i in retaliation from putin? to bel honest there weren't attacks per in retaliation from putin? to be - honest there weren't attacks per se on the governmental quarters in kyiv, on the presidential administration, department rebuilding, at least attacks that were happening, they were easily prevented and shut down well ahead.

however specific targeting is still something which didn't happen and there was no such escalation. putin this is the perfect excuse to hit back and also tried to strike openly on the presidential administration at home on the governmental in kyiv. how mindful are you that allies like the us and france do not want ukraine to ever cause trouble, there is no need for any provocations, do you agree with that?— is no need for any provocations, do you agree with that? absolutely and this is not a — you agree with that? absolutely and this is not a provocation _ you agree with that? absolutely and this is not a provocation coming - this is not a provocation coming from ukraine.— this is not a provocation coming from ukraine. ., , ., ., from ukraine. doctor person, what do ou think from ukraine. doctor person, what do you think would _ from ukraine. doctor person, what do you think would be _ from ukraine. doctor person, what do you think would be the _ from ukraine. doctor person, what do you think would be the result - from ukraine. doctor person, what do you think would be the result of- you think would be the result of america and the uk and france if it was found to be a ukrainian attack?

based on the very limited evidence we have _ based on the very limited evidence we have and just logical deductions i am we have and just logical deductions tam very— we have and just logical deductions i am very sceptical that this would have _ i am very sceptical that this would have been— i am very sceptical that this would have been a ukrainian government planned _ have been a ukrainian government planned operation. it is clear that the president's position, and the allies. _ the president's position, and the allies. trut— the president's position, and the allies, but the focus needs to be on winning _ allies, but the focus needs to be on winning the — allies, but the focus needs to be on winning the fight in ukraine, sol think— winning the fight in ukraine, sol think kyiv— winning the fight in ukraine, sol think kyiv and washington are on the same _ think kyiv and washington are on the same page _ think kyiv and washington are on the same page with that, and sol think kyiv and washington are on the same page with that, and so i don't expect— same page with that, and so i don't expect there will certainly be evidence but in fact this was a planned — evidence but in fact this was a planned operation, but we don't know that and _ planned operation, but we don't know that and we _ planned operation, but we don't know that and we certainly don't have the intelligence to suggest otherwise. thank— intelligence to suggest otherwise. thank you both very much indeed. hovey can be a time of hovey treat

pregnancy and the early months of motherhood can be a time of great vulnerabity for women. almost one in five women experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or the first year of their child's life. in 2016 the uk government pledged a revolution in mental health services, including almost £300 million to provide specialist care for expectant or new mothers. new data shared exclusively with newsnight shows that despite progress, services across the uk are still struggling to meet their targets. here's kate. she loves doing a selfie. she goes like... eleanor�*s daughter is 18 months old. this is actually at her nursery. today eleanor says they've got a brilliant relationship, but a fortnight after the birth, things were difficult. looking back, i can see signs. so one of the biggest ones now is that ijust stopped taking any photos or videos, so i have a bit of a gap there. and then i started, my mood started to change. i started to feel quite low.

i was sleeping a lot. and in hindsight, it wasn'tjust to catch up on sleep. it was to avoid the feelings i was feeling. i didn't want to be in the same room as my daughter. up to one in five women experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or the following year, but that can take many forms. the biggest and most distressing symptom for me was intrusive thoughts. what were those intrusive thoughts saying? what was that experience like? they were quite violent thoughts of purposefully harming my baby and i was imagining myself doing those things, which was beyond scary. i would say maybe a less scary one that i would share would be around pushing my pushchair and walking down a hill and having a thought about letting go of the pushchair.

and i wasn't convinced that i wasn't going to do it. eleanor had suffered from depression before becoming pregnant. she'd been proactive about seeking support during pregnancy and asked for help from her mental health midwife as soon as the intrusive thoughts started. she asked me about what i was experiencing and she listened and she didn't judge. she wasn't shocked. there was no discomfort from her part. so i felt it was a safe place and a safe person to speak to, and that changed everything. the consequences of not getting support can be serious, and the risk of the worst outcome is rising. in 2020, women were three times more likely to die by suicide during pregnancy or the six weeks afterwards compared to the three years previously. while the absolute numbers remain small, the trend is significant. researchers were so worried they even brought forwards the latest audit of maternal deaths. in 2016, the uk government pledged

a revolution in mental health services and there has been significant improvement since then. this map from 2015 ranked services according to a kind of traffic light system. all the areas in red had no specialist maternal mental health services at all. those in pink had just one member of staff. compare that to new data from the maternal mental health alliance, seen here for the first time. now almost the entire uk is at least yellow, having some form of specialist multidisciplinary provision. everything in green also meets standards set by the royal college of psychiatrists. you can see there is still a significant disparity between nations. in northern ireland, for instance, two out of five areas have no specialist multidisciplinary team and there's still no mother and baby unit for mums who need inpatient mental health care. is that a good enough service in 2023? i don't think any of them are good enough for 2023. i think we've made fantastic progress in the last,

particularly in the last sort of ten years. but i think all those services need to expand and there need to be mother and baby units everywhere. a spokesperson for northern ireland's department of health said all five trusts have appointed staff to their community perinatal mental health teams and all are accepting referrals. work is under way to identify a location for a mother and baby unit. even in england, the nation with the most comprehensive care, the nhs doesn't appear to be on track to meet the goals it's set for this year. only around half of trusts are so far providing care from pre—conception to two years after birth or offering partners support. freedom of information requests newsnight collected from more than 20 perinatal mental health services around england show that what support a family gets depends greatly on where they live. in nottinghamshire, for example, almost 90% of appointments are face to face. in 0xford, around two thirds are held remotely. there are different reasons for rejecting referrals too. in east london, more than 20 women were turned away from specialist

support last year due to limited capacity. and while in some places the average waiting time between referral and appointment is 11 days, in kettering, more than one in five women has to wait more than three months. for mums like eleanor who urgently need support, that can feel like a lifetime. it needs to be as quick as possible, because it's notjust about the patient who is struggling, it's about the vulnerable human being that they've just brought into the world. all nations have set aside more money for this area of health care. the problem is that funding isn't always spent. in england, almost three quarters of areas forecast an underspend in 2022. uk—wide, over £15 million allocated wasn't spent. recruitment was the biggest problem. either teams didn't have enough confidence in the funding to hire or staff just weren't available. i know that we've seen some progress, but we are at risk of stalling if not going backwards because the money isn't actually reaching where it is intended.

we know it comes down to leadership, leadership from government, leadership from the nhs, leadership from the department of health and nhs england, together that, combined, that can make a difference. it's miles better now. i have a brilliant relationship with my daughter. we have a really good bond. i do still sometimes struggle with elements of my post—natal depression. so, for instance, intrusive thoughts. so at the moment, i don't bath my daughter by myself. i have a plan in place to get to that point, but i am fully aware of how well i need to look after myself and what i need to do to look after myself. eleanor has built a strong support network of professionals and other mums. nationally, despite the progress, campaigners stress there's no room for complacency, because when the right care is provided, the impact on mothers and their families is clear.

to discuss this further, we're joined by drjulie anderson, consultant psychiatrist and regional perinatal representative at royal college of psychiatrists in northern ireland. . thanks forjoining us. can i pick . thanks for “oining us. can i pick u . . thanks for “oining us. can i pick u- this . thanks forjoining us. can i pick up this point about _ . thanks forjoining us. can i pick up this point about the _ . thanks forjoining us. can i pick. up this point about the underspend in a mental health provision for pregnancy and early motherhood in 2022. across the uk it was £15 million. how could so much money just not be spent when it was available from the government? i suppose i am a clinical psychiatrist on the ground and not a politician and i can only really talk about our services in northern ireland and our new services. the funding that has been allocated over the last few years in northern ireland specialist services has been spent and continues to be spent. 50 services has been spent and continues to be spent. so there's no roblem continues to be spent. so there's no problem in — continues to be spent. so there's no problem in northern _ continues to be spent. so there's no problem in northern ireland, - continues to be spent. so there's no problem in northern ireland, the - problem in northern ireland, the funding has been spent and continues to be spent. is it enough funding or is there a problem? you are the only

area of the uk that doesn't have a residential care unit for mothers and babies. so what's going wrong? absolutely, we need more funding. there are lots of things going right. i supposed to focus on your point about a mother and baby unit in northern ireland, absolutely, you're right, we don't have that and that's one reason why none of northern ireland was green on those maps because that means an impatient mother and baby unit as well as the community services that we now have in place or are getting in place. the positive about that is that real action is being taken. the public health agency in northern ireland have commissioned an independent review that is ongoing and that has been looking at where the best place to put the mother and baby unit is in northern ireland, to get the geography right. the stakeholders are clearly in agreement that we need a mother and baby unit. there is no dispute about that. i

need a mother and baby unit. there is no dispute about that.— is no dispute about that. i think the oint is no dispute about that. i think the point that _ is no dispute about that. i think the point that kate _ is no dispute about that. i think the point that kate was - is no dispute about that. i think| the point that kate was making, especially about the underspend, there a combination of people leaving the health service, not enough people being trained and different agencies having concern about whether the money would keep for repeat funding. that lots of things aren't working. you don't have enough trained people across the uk and you don't have security or funding. the uk and you don't have security orfunding. is that the uk and you don't have security or funding. is that fair to say? i can only comment on northern ireland. ,, can only comment on northern ireland.- certainly - can only comment on northern ireland.- certainly it - can only comment on northern ireland.- certainly it took| ireland. sure. certainly it took time from _ ireland. sure. certainly it took time from when _ ireland. sure. certainly it took time from when we _ ireland. sure. certainly it took time from when we had - ireland. sure. certainly it took time from when we had funding only formally announced in 2021 by robin swann, the health minister at that point and then it took another year or two for the money to be spent to get accommodation sourced for the new teams, to get people in post. the money available so far has been

spent but we need more. 50. spent but we need more. so, essentially. _ spent but we need more. so, essentially, women - spent but we need more. so, essentially, women are being let down and you can only speak for northern ireland, but women are being let down in northern ireland? they aren't a priority? figs being let down in northern ireland? they aren't a priority? $5 a they aren't a priority? as a clinician — they aren't a priority? as a clinician i _ they aren't a priority? as a clinician i think _ they aren't a priority? as a clinician i think there - they aren't a priority? as a clinician i think there are l they aren't a priority? as a l clinician i think there are real positives and wheel moves forward that have been made and we need to recognise that with regards to new services over the last year or two being developed that we didn't have a few years ago. we are lagging behind the rest of the uk but in recent years progress has been made but absolutely, we aren't where we need to be yet, we aren't meeting the royal standards for where perinatal services should be so we have a way to go but progress is being made in the right direction. this idea about a way to go, if you are a mother now in northern ireland, oran are a mother now in northern ireland, or an expectant mother, as it were, concerned about your mental health, you cannot be sure you are going to get the level of care that you deserve.

going to get the level of care that you deserve-— you deserve. well, certainly the messare you deserve. well, certainly the message always _ you deserve. well, certainly the message always for _ you deserve. well, certainly the message always for any - you deserve. well, certainly the message always for any mum i you deserve. well, certainly the l message always for any mum who you deserve. well, certainly the - message always for any mum who is pregnant or with a new baby who is concerned about a change in their mental health or if you are a family member who is concerned about a mum, the message is to get in contact with the gp, midwife, health visitor and accessed that care. in northern ireland, women can access that care through the general community mental health teams, depending on the level of severity of illness. if it is more severe then they can access the new perinatal community mental health teams that are up and running in northern ireland.— in northern ireland. thank you for 'oinin: in northern ireland. thank you for joining us- — a department of health and social care spokesperson said that it was improving and expanding access to specialist perinatal mental health services, with 33 new maternal mental health services due to be available across england by march 202a. the department is increasing investment into mental health services so that more people can get the support they need. and if you've been impacted by any

of the themes explored in tonight's report you can reach out to the bbc�*s action line. the local election campaign in england is all over bar the voting tomorrow. the polls will decide who will run services in 230 local councils. but they are also a critical bellweather for the next general election which is expected to be in 202a. voters in northern ireland will have their say in their council elections in two weeks' time. last week, nick reported from the blue wall in hertfordshire, where the focus is on the liberal democrat challenge to this conservatives. today nick has been to stoke—on—trent, the heart of the red wall. that of course denotes the a0 or so once rock—solid labour parliamentary seats which fell to the tories in 2019. keir starmer will be hoping for gains there to show labour is back in business. here's nick. gentle traditions in gentle climes.

patriotism in an historic setting. the land of potteries, craftwork shipped around the globe. and now, stoke—on—trent is home to a political battleground that could decide the next general election. thank you, all of you. it's fantastic to see you all here this morning, to be here in burslem, the mother town of the potteries. and so an early spring visit by keir starmer. a good showing in stoke will be hailed by labour as a sign that it is back in business in the red wall, the former labour heartlands, mainly in the midlands and north of england, which turned blue in 2019. two of these a0 parliamentary seats are in stoke and labour needs them back. we've had worcester woman, mondeo man and more

recently, stevenage woman — voters deemed to be crucial to the general election outcome. but one theme has been constant over the last four years: the red wall, and stoke—on—trent is right at its heart. used to be in the bag for labour, but then it went conservative. a big battleground tomorrow, and the parties will be hoping that will provide them with a pathway to success at the general election. five political voices battling for hearts and minds. hello. sorry. hello. i'm just calling round from the local labour party about the local elections. a big labour push to win back once—lifelong supporters in stoke. well, we want them back. we need them back. and we're not at all complacent. you don'tjust get votes back. you have to go out and earn them. and over the last few years, since our worst election defeat

in 2019, in 100 years, both locally and nationally, we've put in the work and you can see it coming through on the doors. people are looking at labour again, but we're by no means complacent that we've sealed the deal and that's why we're going out and fighting for every single vote, notjust here in stoke, but in every part of the country. the tories see a renewed threat, but one they believe they can challenge. well, look, let's not forget that keir starmer has firmly come and planted his own tanks here in stoke—on—trent. he's been bussing people up, it seems, from camden to kensington, trying to create the "woke on trent" that he's so desperate to bring upon our city. but we're fighting back, because we're not allowing wokery to survive here in stoke—on—trent. we want it to remain, as i say, stoke—on—trent. so, you know, ultimately mr flip—flop can come up here and promise everything under the sun. no—one really believes he's going to stay to his true to his word. he can't even keep his own word to his own members when he said that he had ten pledges to be leader and looking to ditch them already. canvassing further north in stockport, and clear messages resonating for the lib dems.

the issues that residents are telling me that they care about on doorsteps over the last few weeks, it's the bread and butter issues as local councillors we deal with. it's bins, it's potholes, it's what dogs leave on the side of the road when they go out for a walk. but increasingly, some of those really big issues are coming up. so whether it's cost of living crisis and the governmentjust not doing nearly enough, it might be labour councillors not listening enough to them. and increasingly, it's things like climate change and what local impacts people are seeing. back in stoke and anger over car parking charges, fodder for local independents. we are for people rather than politics. so, we take everything on an individual basis, but we fight for our areas. we voted against bringing in these parking charges on this car park. as you can see, an absolutely beautiful area used by hundreds and hundreds of people. but bringing in the parking charges by the city council's had a hugely negative effect and is why you can see an empty car park now. for the greens, a belief they are appealing across the board.

in some places it might be a sense of kind of feeling left behind, - not being listened to and in other places it might be a sense - that the locality has been kind of overdeveloped, . housing put in places where it's not the right place, _ it doesn't have the right. infrastructure and all those the kind of issues that people find at local level. _ and i think we've been talking about kind of, i yes, house building, _ right place, right price and right location for doing that. history in the air in a city which offers rich pickings for the political parties, and decisions made here tomorrow — good or bad for the parties — may resonate way beyond stoke. the latest recepticle for the us culture wars — is a beer can.

the maker of bud light beer in the us has offered wholesalers free beer after they have faced plummteting sales and allegedly, personal threats following a promotion with a highly successful transgender influencer and actress who is a brand ambassador for bud light. dylan mulvaney�*s portrait has just appeared on cans to celebrate 365 days of womanhood. here's a clip. 365 days of womanhood. now this was just on social media, not some lavish super bowl advert. although when bud light did mention multiple genders positively in their advertising seven years ago, nobody particularly noticed or cared. we are going to bring

america together. the party for everyone, men... cheering. women... cheering. people of all genders. but, you know, gender identity, it's really a spectrum _ and we don't need labels. beer should have labels. not people. but this time bud light appeared to distance themselves from the dylan mulveney promotion. in april ceo brandan whitworth said: "we never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. we are in the business of bringing people together over a beer." the executive responsible for bud light went on extended leave, voluntary or not we don't quite know, and the tone of the online advertising changed. here's what she had to say about her strategy before the mulvaney promotion was released. what i brought to that was a belief in, 0k, what does evolve and elevate mean.

it means inclusivity. it means shifting the tone. it means having a campaign that's truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different and appeals to women and to men. and representation is sort of the heart of evolution. you've got to see people who reflect you in the work. and we had this hangover. i mean, bud light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out of touch humour. and it was really important that we had another approach. bud light has for more than a decade been shooting for a younger more inclusive and diverse customer base. but with sales down 26.1% in a year, the argument is, should they stand their ground or cave in to the boycotters? i'm joined by rania robinson who runs creative agency quiet storm and is president of women in advertising and communications leadership. and from washington by carrie sheffield, who's a broadcaster and writer who works with the conservative—leaning advocacy group conservative women's voice. good evening to both ear. rania, first of all, bud light has been

talking about lgbt plus for a long time. what went wrong here? it is a real surprise — time. what went wrong here? it is a real surprise to _ time. what went wrong here? it is a real surprise to me _ time. what went wrong here? it is a real surprise to me because - time. what went wrong here? it is a real surprise to me because in - time. what went wrong here? it is a real surprise to me because in all i real surprise to me because in all honesty it came to me as a bit of a surprise, i hadn't really fully understood the extent to which budweiser had been really entrenched in this. i think may be the visibility of the campaign, it gave it to certain level of prominence. there was also some very strong and divisive views when it comes to the transit debate. also transitioning as a brand when you are trying to modernise and become more relevant to a new audience there is always a danger of alienating your core. —— trans debate. for a brand like bud light they have a very strong heartland and traditionally conservative audience base. but the

thin is, conservative audience base. but the thing is. carrie. _ conservative audience base. but the thing is, carrie, seven _ conservative audience base. but the thing is, carrie, seven years - thing is, carrie, seven years ago bud light ran an advert embracing all genders and nobody took issue. is this about a 2023 backlash against trans people?- against trans people? i don't think so. ithink against trans people? i don't think so. i think we need _ against trans people? i don't think so. i think we need to look- against trans people? i don't think so. i think we need to look at this | so. i think we need to look at this in the broader context of what is happening in america. there is a recent research on the brunswick group _ recent research on the brunswick group which is very compelling which says 63% _ group which is very compelling which says 63% of corporate executives agree _ says 63% of corporate executives agree unequivocally that companies should _ agree unequivocally that companies should speak out on social issues, however _ should speak out on social issues, however a — should speak out on social issues, however a mere 37% of voters feel the same — however a mere 37% of voters feel the same weight. then you have 74% of business _ the same weight. then you have 74% of business executives thinking corporate activism is effective compared tojust corporate activism is effective compared to just 39% of voters. i think— compared to just 39% of voters. i think you — compared to just 39% of voters. i think you have the big disconnect between — think you have the big disconnect between what the suits at the top think— between what the suits at the top think people want versus what are people _ think people want versus what are people actually want which is that's 'ust people actually want which is that's just not— people actually want which is that's just not he — people actually want which is that's just not be political in our products. just not be political in our

products-— just not be political in our roducts. �* , �* ., products. but isn't the whole point is that ou products. but isn't the whole point is that you have _ products. but isn't the whole point is that you have to _ products. but isn't the whole point is that you have to attract - products. but isn't the whole point is that you have to attract a - products. but isn't the whole point is that you have to attract a new. is that you have to attract a new audience and a different audience, if you want your brand to stay relevant otherwise you just die, carrie? relevant otherwise you 'ust die, carrie? . . relevant otherwise you 'ust die, carrie? ., . ., ., , carrie? the fact of the matter is when you _ carrie? the fact of the matter is when you see — carrie? the fact of the matter is when you see corporations - carrie? the fact of the matter is - when you see corporations engaging in these _ when you see corporations engaging in these sort of tactics, they are trying _ in these sort of tactics, they are trying to— in these sort of tactics, they are trying to get into the latest political movement people find that to be inauthentic and that is what the research showed as well, it's found _ the research showed as well, it's found more — the research showed as well, it's found more than 60% of voters think companies _ found more than 60% of voters think companies only speak out on social issues _ companies only speak out on social issues to— companies only speak out on social issues to look better to do the consumers even though 57% of executives said the companies speak out of— executives said the companies speak out of authentic views, so you have this huge _ out of authentic views, so you have this huge gap and disconnect between what the _ this huge gap and disconnect between what the suits and executives believe — what the suits and executives believe versus what the consumers want and _ believe versus what the consumers want and i— believe versus what the consumers want and i think that is what has happened — want and i think that is what has happened here. you want and i think that is what has happened here-— want and i think that is what has ha ened here. ., , , .,, , ~ happened here. you presumably think ou do happened here. you presumably think you do have — happened here. you presumably think you do have to — happened here. you presumably think you do have to bought _ happened here. you presumably think you do have to bought a _ happened here. you presumably think you do have to bought a new- happened here. you presumably think you do have to bought a new audience and new consumers orjust die, you have to move with the times? absolutely. the authenticity point is the point here, it needs to be

donein is the point here, it needs to be done in an authentic way and i think thatis done in an authentic way and i think that is where maybe some of the fatigue is coming from, this feeling that there is a lack of authenticity and it isjumping on a bandwagon. that is interesting because bud light had a track record, it is not as if this hasjust light had a track record, it is not as if this has just been this year. bud light have been talking about all genders for a long time. they have a completely authentic you might say track record but you are essentially saying consumers think they are doing it for the wrong reason. i they are doing it for the wrong reason. ~' , they are doing it for the wrong reason. ~ , ., ., ., reason. i think there is a lot of activity of _ reason. i think there is a lot of activity of brands _ reason. i think there is a lot of activity of brands and - reason. i think there is a lot of activity of brands and i - reason. i think there is a lot of activity of brands and i think. reason. i think there is a lot of. activity of brands and i think there is a danger that bud light is getting thrown into the mix with everything else, where there is a lot of inauthentic behaviour from brands and i think that sort of negative impact if you like is just projecting out to brands that may be don't deserve that. so projecting out to brands that may be don't deserve that.— don't deserve that. so something like nonbinary — don't deserve that. so something like nonbinary beer _ don't deserve that. so something like nonbinary beer is _ don't deserve that. so something like nonbinary beer isjust - don't deserve that. so something like nonbinary beer isjust a - like nonbinary beer is just a ridiculous idea? i