politician in the parliament for the best part of forty years a two time chair of the foreign affairs committee no one knows more about the development of the institution i know unexpected place to assess the impact of bricks it. brought welcome to the excitement show hello thank you for a man guarding me that were brought to your europe's most experienced parliamentarian. in that one career of almost forty years did you ever think you would see the point at which a major state was on the brink of leaving the european union no as is a big surprise for me. good personal relationships american century i was with her and seventy five from the demonstration in london in that referendum at that time and never believed that britain will have no interest in its own interests anymore and therefore i do not understand that this most practical nation's averts is going into an ideological affair and that britain has gone from leading europe into

the single market in the one nine hundred eighty s. to perhaps leaving the european union altogether is in your opinion down to developments in british politics and british society or is it something to do with the developments in the european union as well as i think britain has under signed and ratified all developments in competence of european union the internal market was in fact party invention of the british politics of british politicians and supported by margaret said i think this is a big change in british policy in this society as part of. globalization and the question of. different opinions in different parts of society from blue collar workers to small and business people that is i think a development we have in many places but only britain is has taken over the power and from what you're reading off the reason males deal the good with michelle

bonnie do you in your estimation think that is a good deal for europe and a good deal for britain all can you understand the skepticism in both places that might not be as good a deal is staying in the european union i think is propose. for the backstop the customs union just in case isn't a true and it was a british invention not our we had other proposals but i think to have and his drawer agreement would give us two to four years time to niggas said the property for the future without any change for the moment and therefore we have told to free way for business because no changes happens in the next two years and we could do was said to prop our our free trade agreement but also agreements in internal and external security given rules this time and i have great to dust cost only money for all of us more for britain because of the different size and therefore i would

prefer such a historic dream and there's one percent chance perhaps that these backstop deliver you would be used if you do it properly and because of his van percent chance that it could happen to destroy the whole thing i think is quite stupid. however brought you've seen many crises in the unit paid union over the last few decades and your estimation is this one which can be solved by a last minute compromise with the developments that are happening in westminster this week perhaps a sign of more accommodation in brussels or do you think there's still a very real danger of going off the cliff edge to a hard break so i think there is a good chance to come to the outbreaks it we cannot move in the question very have to be afraid in the integrity of the internal market therefore we have to find the solution for the irish border for example this integrity of the internal market is far so important as integrity of the united kingdom is for you know in for london

important and therefore i think we cannot move in that question and there can no longer cherrypicking solution for the united kingdom we want to have a solution but it cannot be so that someone who leaves you open union does not take over the responsibilities of european union can have the same advantages as countries who are stay in european union and fulfill the obligations of a brought you've been twice chair of the foreign affairs committee of the european parliament many people would argue that that an will be diminished by leaving the european union from your estimation will the unit be in union also be does diminished by losing the influence of a major member state for sure it's a lose lose situation for both of us and in economic reasons as a trading power but also in security policy you would like to have britain in about britain is in this market case thirteen times smaller than the market of the european union so you know we'll build

a stronger pot negotiate in free trade deals over the world what we have done already sixty five countries including just now is japan britain has nothing and to be have to see that in security policy they have to come closer together. in. internal security fighting terrorism for example and therefore i would prefer that britain would stay in or it does not stay in view would have a deal. which makes it possible for the free trade agreements for press even customs union for internal and external security and such questions to have no decisions in our common interest but the heartbreak cities. have nationalists believe of global britain which has nothing to do it is a reality of this world and to. bring harm to all of us have abroad if explained why europe will show solidarity were for ireland a loyal member state and redeem its commitments to the good friday agreement what's

your feelings towards scotland a nation with ed in the united kingdom but a strongly pro unit pm nation can you appreciate scotland's dilemma of being dragged out of europe against the will of its people look i have lived for one year in scotland it was an old college university of edinburgh and this is one of the nation this is closest to my heart i have visited twice now in the last year scotland i was in the highlands to look around my place as i was in former times as a student and this country so wonderful this is so poor people they've understood that only together we are strong enough in this world to not divide it and therefore our vision scotland all the luck for the future and to know that the membership in the european union is of the utmost importance for the future economic and social development of scotland f. the scottish people so decided some point in the future would be

a welcome at the unity in table for the nation of scotland look i think if that is done a referendum under the rules of the united kingdom as you have done it and then they will decide it so i think it will be then easy to have the membership notices and speed. because scotland fulfill its all the need for membership because all the stand that's already there and therefore i think not pushing for dividing the united kingdom hopefully the united kingdom could be a member of the whole together of the european union but. if united kingdom goes out of the european union can imagine that the scottish people with think a second time mr brock can ask you what is the best you hope for in this situation and also what are your worst fears about the situation. look bad dreams is britain will stay in but i think this is unrealistic in this situation the best would have

his historic agreement then have time for proper arrangements and agreements that he can keep the damage down the versed is that we have the heartbreaks it by default and that we then have all these problems coming out of that especially britain especially northern ireland and scotland. but i think here also harm for us and to hold that realism overcomes this present situation in such a way that we find a solution in the upcoming weeks and were brought up the past in a level you're about to leave the unity in parliament after forty years europe's longest serving parliamentarian with many many huge contributions to the development of europe as a one aspect that that sticks in your mind that you look back and say that was an achievement which collectively we can be proud i think is a study in the opinion given nine member countries in the european parliament has

nothing to say we had to weak customs union now we have a strong going to own market have a monetary union and beginning of a defense policy we have a parliament which has close the democratic deficit in the european union is strong european union is which can apply. a role in the world and does play a role in this world because in the time of the sea and polluting and trump only together via have a chance and please we should not because of populism because of discussion in member countries whether democracy in the rule of law will play such a role in a future as we believe it should this all makes me nervous and hopefully in the european parliament elections but also in the city in the capitals of our continent the people are so strong too in the interest of europe which can be only sovereign if we are together every nation in known is too weak to get solar energy for its own people together we can get bags of energy for our people but only together as

europeans ever brought thank you so much for joining us on the alex salmond show thank you our legs all the best for you see you soon bye bye do you. join us after the break to get a leading call in this piece on what breaks it might mean for scotland see that. the wood for to return to the unrestrained nuclear competition of the cold war was the plea made by the u.n. secretary general earlier this week with the u.s. pulling out of the i.n.f. treaty and russia rolling out new nuclear weaponry should we be more worried about the weapons themselves or the people who have the codes.

warren buffett you know these doing the stock buybacks which is you know used to be illegal until recently that's completely fraudulent and yes no governance or oversight whatsoever you know he's a more and more of the biggest are the biggest shareholder of wells fargo for example during that period when they were engaged in serial criminality when they were engaged in absolute fraud and he's a party to that so here's a guy who given unlimited credit at zero percent and is exempt from the rule of law still can't seem to make money for shareholders which is you know that. you know we're number one movie capital in united states we all slow number

one. i mean before. the most. are you selling crack or you got to we can jump in order to escape. along in a month. so this is somebody. at the. welcome back jacobite coleman the brussels express is known for its penetrating insights into the politics of eastern europe however as the name suggests the calling the system by ex-pats caught the entrepreneur james wilson alex caught up with him in brussels and asked him to take

a look waste on the future of scotland would britain breaks it. well james wilson entrepreneur ex-parte scott in brussels but in particular. columnist you write the jacobite column for the brussels express and a well there were the very end of dealing call you know a great position to tell us what the people think is happening in the u.k. at this moment as regards brics well i think most people are very concerned at the what seems to be an anti immigrant spiral which is happening in the british public and they view the these news shots of the parliament in westminster with the peace booing each other like a pack of baboons and they're very bemused they see that the situation is chaotic many of them if they have been thinking about coming to study in the u.k.

or to work in the u.k. having second thoughts so it's that has been that is that meaningful that people who are perhaps going to visit or to study or of the world will say well we'll see how things are going to tell no absolutely and i'm speaking also from my own children here they're coming to the book the view that they should be looking for their future in europe rather than the u.k. for their careers and future studies and you yourself when you've been a long time resident of brussels but you've just very recently taken to build themselves and ship as a direct response to the brakes that referendum in the u.k. . that's right i've lived in belgium for about thirty years so i've been paying my taxes here for a while but the trigger to take version of citizenship was this referendum in june two thousand and sixteen because that was i saw that i was going against

everything that i had to change in my career by having the ability to move freely or. and europe set up my business where i wanted i saw the office being taken away . and i also dislike very much the. rise of racism and far right politics in the u.k. but that's not confines of the the u.k. and in the far right is in the march in many countries in europe that's true but this is not not what i had expected of the country where i was brought up and educated i didn't like what i saw happening there the far right you brought up an educated in scotland in the far right near vance and scotland in the whole brics it breaks i think the only party which has acted with dignity and with integrity is the scottish nationalist party and the scottish government so they've come out of the debate rather well and particularly in the european parliament

a lot of people remember the speech by alan smith. where he this was a me gently after the referendum really you see put quite unusual in european parliament a standing ovation right over saying you know bear faithfully we will be with you if you'll be with us the rest of you in terms of scotland and scottish politicians they viewed quite favorably in europe if you an explanation of why it's in the u.k. and in the u.k. a little. disgruntlement with the european union has translated itself into it to get out of the european union there's a lot of the blame lies with the conservative government who for years have been telling the british public that any problems. with brussels boris johnson was the daily telegraph correspondent here in brussels

in fact. sure was the prime minister and he would write stories about bennett cucumber his and square strawberries putting all of the blame on brussels so for years the british public has had a diet of tabloids blame for any bureaucracy or stupid legislation on the e.u. we mustn't credit the former farm sector with too much info but nonetheless the there's a new touch on the u.k. press of a fiercely anti european union attitude stretching by twenty or thirty years when one remembers the famous sun newspaper front beard tools that used the loss didn't run in scotland up front page and certainly back in the one nine hundred ninety s. so do you think that has conditioned the u.k. public over the period of time to be the only country which translates your

skepticism into blacks yes a believe that the press has a lot to answer for the media coverage people have short memories and they forget that actually at the time of president the law or. who was behind creating the single market well it was the british commissioner lord cofield who'd been appointed by margaret thatcher he was margaret thatcher's money he was indeed and he drove through a foment to both amount of legislation which led to the creation of europe's single market the question of course i want to ask you as you'll understand as an expert scot writing a column which rooms laws were called still called jacobite which indicates that you like the week and recently you loot the future scotland in terms of what's happening in the in the u.k. in the breaks that process was out of the time to home thoughts from from europe or

was that a say well i do like to get back to the sky. the future of my own country looking back to the independence referendum for scotland in two thousand and fourteen which had a member well. there was this campaign better together with spokesmen like gordon brown who were warning the scottish electorate if you vote for independence you will be asked to leave the e.u. you will not be able to keep your membership of the e.u. and i believe that had a an influence on the outcome of that of the vote and nobody could have expected that two years later the prime minister would be coming back to the electorate again well i would like to ask you would you like to leave the e.u. or not and then having voted sixty two percent in favor of staying against thirty eight percent who wanted to leave to have their advice ignored or

surveys of scotland if i said scotland sorry every electoral district i believe in scotland every ward voted to stay and then for the government to turn around to say well thank you very much but you know you're just part of the u.k. and your vote doesn't actually count is shameful it's an absolute disgrace to use think that will be a political consequence of the political consequence i believe is that the scottish electorate will not take this lying down you cannot be so undemocratic and neo colonialist in new york treatment of voters i believe that will have a sea change in the electorate who will be demanding independence from the u.k. and of your knowledge of european countries with which ones you think would be

scottish friendly under these circumstances who perhaps were a bit lelie before scotland has a lot of. friends in europe for example david mcallister in germany who was a scottish father yeah it was i think of the army of the reagan and the very problem and it's a conservative politician in germany but still a very much a leader of manual miracles even quoted sometimes as a potential successor yes i believe germany for example will look favorably upon scottish call for independence. the netherlands here here in belgium also the mood has changed and. the mood has changed so you think result of blacks has been to me more europeans think well you know the english want to see the back of us but the scots and the irish of course potentially will stay so you don't know us this would be the end game of blitz that we will be to reconfigure

the united kingdom both from scotland and potentially in ireland i believe that in ireland it's inevitable that the two parts will come together at some point in history this is just a question of time. but for scotland as i say the the the realisation that the electorate is being ignored by the parliament in westminster. is it's a wake up call so james rosen what you're saying is that this the law of unintended consequences for britain's brake city of me actually sink the british ship absolutely i'm afraid that the ship of state is shortly to be on the rocks it is also in fact it's the once and for a billion now examined sure i'm glad to present it with the queen of it's a great honor i so much i don't have that there are a lot from walkable the drill of liquid road your maniacs parted friends and of

course only scorch thank you very much indeed it's a great pleasure thank you. to these i'm a dash to the desert to the weekend but came back with only found rather than subst . as a result the parliamentary stakes on banks were raised again this week with a quote steadily ticking towards march twenty ninth this is a shameful like nothing has changed in the that the son of the sea used to sit over that and now sitting over here come the prime minister tell tell me though what he thinks is the maximum extension he would seek to. withdrawal i want to see it were there to be an extension i believe it should be as short as possible but surely it is perfectly possible and the democratic process to go back and ask the public messages do you see any case here. this is alex's take on the week with just one month to go until bt when i was a lad my mockers and i played the street game kick the can sense in this only needs

us all but died out this was just mentioning the rules if you want it you have to catch and tag the other players which put them into a holding pen to say the can in the road over the feeding one of them got to your car and undetected and kicked it down the road there were all released in the game continued often for a very long time with no perceptible progress whatsoever. into these i'm a was of a similar age we'd all from her on the tone that she not only walked through fields of wheat without but motion it was not the carpet for that was any con to kick in the prime minister's field of dreams to have childlike exercise sessions every bit as futile as was might have a kick in the can or walking through fields of we represent see clearly the faint object of compared to the prime minister's approach to blacks and those comments and latest decision of not to decide yet again the face of rational explanation of

why she's why everybody's so confused about it in westminster and in the real world i don't know if there's a single voter who is not lost in the maze of twists and turns. it's course possible that i'm doing the prime minister the gross injustice perhaps as a supreme coming plan which everyone else is only dimly aware but hope she's a secret millet dealer making hardbacks and never will by default but she's a subtle political strategist who all along is plotted to force realignment the british politics out of this chaos so by exit. perhaps she calculates m.p.'s will crack when faced with a new deal as opposed to well just taking shots themselves and ruling it out perhaps she thinks the european commission will give up exasperated exhausted outlasted by a sheet of stubbornness most likely she believes is the break city as of both parties who'll be driven into lame rather than face emerging possibility of another referendum any and all of these things are possible in the same way it's possible

for our son to go into super nova next weekend but they're still in heavenly unlikely. most likely this is yet another enlist despondent of the evil day or the economy falters the political establishment disintegrates not cabinet solves and the factions politics is not just the art of the possible it's the skill of making the impossible public the bill at least bearable to those who vehemently disagree with you and not sent to task of state this prime minister has failed not once not twice not three but many times over merely postponing the evil day until the ides of march is no substitute for the skilled to solve this but rubik's cube back in the day when someone pick my condo in the road i knew i had made no progress and we had only set about catching my pals again i've also comforted myself that the game would come to a natural end when darkness fell it's not clear that the prime minister has

a we're a close years no to the final twilight. and i've sometimes made on myself and the rest of the t.v. this good bye for now. what politicians do. put themselves on the line to get accepted or rejected. so when you want to be president. or some want to. have to go right to the

press it's like them before three of them or can't be good. interested always in the waters of the house. there should. be in the war. all my dough for an hour sixty five months on a city denoted. by the sun. just far and up dollar for isis fighters and no boarding a philippine naval ship. i'm . not for me nads i mean ninety dollars. just aren't abdulla still don't know what's waiting for them. if this is what. you

and i do not to. have to get out of. america i'm no more. war. my son was doing drugs my nephews was still in drugs my sister's with doing drugs it was like an epidemic of drug abuse america's public enemy number one in the united states. drug abuse you sort of going after the users in the prison population who are we started treating sick people people who are addicted to these drugs like criminals while i was on the hill we became convinced that the war on drugs in the state there are countless numbers of people who are in prison for inconceivable.

for minor minor offenders in the drug trade it's a lot watching your children grow up and miss you in waves and say bye daddy as you're walking out of the business it's just it doesn't get easier. the second trial came summit ends up with no deal reached as neither side can find common ground of a sanctions and the deed of the korean peninsula. facebook is accused of censoring conservative voices as a whistleblower reveals how the social network suppresses content and limits exposure. in the course of doing my duties i noticed other things that were going on accounts i would see it appear on several different conservative pages. and friend sporting goods retail and the caps on his fourth to drop plans to sell a sports version of the job in france received violent threats we got reaction in

paris. so she was aware it's going to.