lord steel hit back today...lawyers believe lord steel had a responsibility to act. because david steel failed to act on these allegations, cyril smith was able to remain in public life, cyril smith went on to abuse children at knowl view school, in rochdale, in the 1980s. this enquiry examined another big allegation. in 2012, labour's tom watson demanded an investigation into... clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network linked to parliament and number 10. so what happened ? the enquiry said today it had done its investigation and found no evidence of that. but over the years, concerns have been raised about individuals like cyril smith and little has been done. this report says that is because politics came before the safety of children. and it demands all political parties improve their child protection policy. tom symonds, bbc news, west minster. hello, i'm gavin ramjaun and this is sport today, live from the bbc sport centre. coming up on this programme: a thumping at the bridge for chelsea,

but victims' lawyers believe lord steel had a responsibility to act. ations, cyril smith was able to remain in public life. cyril smith went on to abuse children at knowl view school in rochdale in the 1980s. this inquiry examined another big allegation. in 2012, labour's tom watson demanded an investigation into... clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network linked to parliament and number 10. so what happened ? the inquiry said today it had done its investigation, and found no evidence of that. but over the years, concerns have been raised about individuals like cyril smith and little has been done. this report says that's because politics came before the safety of children. and it demands all political parties improve their child protection policies. tom symons, bbc news, westminster. a jury at the old bailey has been shown cctv footage of salman abedi, the manchester arena suicide bomber, seconds before he detonated a device which killed 22 people and injured hundreds. he's seen carrying a large rucksack, standing in a crowd of men,

ten years later, he had what lord steel says was a brief conversation with then party leader david steeld steel should have acted and that not doing so was a relation of his duty to protect children. lord steel as you say has now resigned and he is angry at what the report says about him. he says the report says about him. he says the inquiry is going after him because he cannot go after cyril smith. he says cyril smith never admitted being a paedophile to him. he is effectively revealing that some in the liberal democrats wanted this former senior figure some in the liberal democrats wanted this former seniorfigure in british politics to be re—investigated by his own party and he said he is not prepared to have that happen. he stepped down. tom, many thanks again, tom symonds there with the latest on that in westminster. accord has been shown cctv footage of the arena, just before he detonated the device. it is seen carrying a rucksack containing travel in a crowded arena. his brother is on trial at the old bailey accused of being jointly responsible for the attack. he denies attempted

lord steel hit back today, the enquiry not having secured a parliamentary scalp i fear i have been madeled to act, sarah smith was able to remain in public life and he went on to abuse children in schools in the 19805. to abuse children in schools in the 1980s. this enquiry examined another big allegation. in 2012, labour's tom watson demanded an investigation into... clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network link to parliament and number10. network link to parliament and number 10. so network link to parliament and number10. so what network link to parliament and number 10. so what happened? network link to parliament and number10. so what happened? the enquiry said today it had done its investigation and found no evidence of that. but over the years, concerns have been raised about individuals like cyril smith and little has been done. this report says that is because politics came before the safety of children. and it demands all political parties improve their child protection policy. for a hundred years, life expectancy in the uk has increased, with every generati

former liberal democrat leader lord steel resigns from the party and quits the house of lords, afterly happen? 0h, oh, i 0h, idon't oh, i don't know. leave it hanging there. we will find out. thanks, olly, and we'll bejoining you for a full update just after half—past. ben has all the weather. it is not quite as wet as it has been out there, sunshine and showers, but any further rain in some areas is not welcome and it feels pretty chilly as well. i will have all the details later on. thanks, ben. also coming up: in nationawide we'll have the latest as some schools in england and northern ireland tell staff and students to stay at home after returning from ski trips to coronavirus—hit parts of northern italy. hello, everyone — this is afternoon live — i'm simon mccoy. as the outbreak of coronavirus spreads to more and more countries, people returning to the uk from affected parts of italy have been told to stay at home for two weeks even if they don't feel unwell, and all travellers who've visited northern italy should self—isolate if they develop flu—like symptoms. several schools w

the former liberal leader, lord steel, leaves the lib dems, after a report says he did not act on claimsr mp cyril smith. the city of delhi sees its worst violence in decades,

conducting serious investigations into allegations and in particular the former liberal leader, lord steeltend in his resignation. even though he knew so sarah smith, a former mp had been involved with the abuse of young boys he still recommended him for a knighthood. —— sir cyril smith. he has tendered his resignation. he was turning a blind eye to accusations of abuse, to clarify. they was a conservative mp as well. people in westminster new there was something about sir cyril smith had an interest in young children but turned a blind eye because of the political concerns they had rather than any concern for the welfare of young children. this story is also covered in the daily telegraph and the times but with a focus on tom watson. politically, people more from the right are honing in on tom watson because remember tom watson did make allegations in the house of commons about a westminster paedophile ring linked to ten downing st which were incendiary allegations and they say these are not true. i have spoken to people who are spoken to tom watson who was nominated for an honour and tha

the liberal leader in 1979, david steel, 110w liberal leader in 1979, david steel, now lord steel, wasons but did not act on them, the inquiry said it was an abdication of responsibility by a political leader. sir peter morrison became permanent private secretary to margaret thatcher, the prime minister in the 1980s, concerns about him not acted on by that party. there are not many recommendations on here but one is that individuals who are knighted but are found to have abused children later, they should lose their knighthoods. ministers from the eu have decided the basis for their post—brexit trade talks with the uk. the government here will publish its position on thursday. it means negotiations can begin shortly. in a moment, we'll talk to our assistant political editor, norman smith, in westminster. but first, our correspondent adam fleming is in brussels. what we have had today, is it fair to say, gibson is a sense of where the pressure might come in the coming months? that's right, there are three new potential flash points and one old one in this document we saw today. the thre

is the case of cyril smith, who was investigated in 1969 by the police, and ten years later told lord steelt he had been investigated. he did not do anything with the information, and the inquiry found that he abdicated his responsibilities and that was an issue for the protection of children. in another key case relating to the conservatives, peter morrison, who in the 1960s and 1970s there were concerns about suggestions that he might be involved in the abuse of children, well, that information went right up to the prime minister's office, the prime minister at the time being margaret thatcher. the inquiry does not necessarily find that margaret thatcher was told that one of the ministers at the time was a paedophile, but it does say that peter morris and's political career was allowed to go on and he was eventually knighted. —— peter morrison. one of the recommendations of the inquiry is to look at people, after they died, then knighthoods can be reconsidered if allegations like this come to light. ok, tom symonds, thank you very much. ben has the latest sport. as excuses go, deyontay wi

david steel has quit the liberal democrats and is to retire from the house of lords following a new reporte had failed to act on allegations against his colleague cyril smith. the results of the inquiry, published today, said the political establishment spent decades turning a blind eye to allegations of child sex abuse. our home affairs correspondent, tom symonds is at westminster but it did not find any evidence of a paedophile network at the heart of the establishment something that was being alleged in 2012. it did fine, as you say, deference when powerful people were accused of child abuse, details were not passed to the police in particular, to protect reputations. the inquiry uses cyril smith as an example, he was an mp in rochdale in the 1970s but in the late 60s he was investigated by the police were looking at allegations that boys had been abused in two schools. ten years after cyril smith had a conversation with david steele who was the leader of the liberal party and told him this investigation had happened. steele gave evidence about this at the inquiry, he said it was a brie

david steel has quit the liberal democrats and is to retire from the house of lords following a new report the former liberal leader told the independent inquiry that he had failed to act on allegations against his colleague cyril smith. the results of the inquiry, published today, said the political establishment spent decades turning a blind eye to allegations of child sex abuse. our home affairs correspondent, tom symonds spoke to us earlier from westminster. ididn't ididn‘tfind i didn't find any evidence of a paedophile network. it did find deference when powerful people were accused of power of fence —— child abuse, he was an mp in the 1970s, but in the late 60s, he was investigated by the police with allegations that boys had been abused into schools. ten years after that, cyril smith had a conversation with david steele who is the leader of the liberal party and told him this investigation had happened. he gave evidence about this at the inquiry last year. he said it was a brief conversation and he didn't admitany abuse, brief conversation and he didn't admit any abuse, but because