george osborne did it, philip hammond did it. make it work for the uk. but on the other side, you've got people who say, hang on a minute, china is not a benign country. it is not a country that wants the uk to succeed in a purely benign way. there are problems with human rights. in terms of all sorts of things. we know that there have been all sorts of, you know, an uptick, as we've discussed many times, in the kind of threats from state actors that the uk faces. actually, what are you doing going to go and break bread with the chinese? so it's a difficult, difficult balance. they're not the first government to face it, but it kind of feels to me it's a bit like rinse and repeat, this. you know, the arguments that are being made about rachel reeves going or not going to china are kind of a rinse and repeat of previous prime ministers and previous chancellors going, where you get particular lobbies saying don't do it, other people saying, on you go. and when this is aired 50 years from now by historians saying the world changed i

i should say the former conservative chancellor philip hammond said yesterday he thought that it shouldcancelled trip could be worse than going ahead and making the visit. it is happening and for the government it is very important. laboursaid during important. labour said during its important. laboursaid during its time in opposition that it wanted a more pragmatic approach to china, which is the world's second largest economy, the uk's fifth largest trading partner. after a chilly few years when the conservatives were in power and concerns about national security and human rights trumped economic questions in the uk's relations with china. i think the chancellor did want something of a reset and sees it as an important source of foreign investment, particularly into the city of london. so it is going ahead. it is a fairly low—key visit. she is not taking ing a big press pack with her. we expect her to make one appearance in front of cameras. but it is a fairly under the radar trip. she is going with the governor of the bank of england and some other big bosses from the city. but i thi

cameron, who went to china, theresa may went to china well, george osborne chancellor went and philip hammond , �* ., ., china? they weren't going to china? they weren't going to china point — china? they weren't going to china point when _ china? they weren't going to china point when our- china? they weren't going to | china point when our economy was in significant distress it is completely wrong for the chancellor, at a point when we have this stress in the bond markets with the consequences are five are set out for people right up and down the country, their living standards, businesses, livelihoods, the chancellor should be here at her station, chancellor should be here at herstation, reassuring chancellor should be here at her station, reassuring markets and trying to give some sense that this government gets the depths of the problem and it has some clear plans.- depths of the problem and it has some clear plans. there is a to see the — has some clear plans. there is a to see the chinese _ a to see the chinese government, you would have ditched out to see the chinese government and in

former chancellor philip hammond says reeves trip shouldn't be cancelled despite the mounting pressure. turning now to los angeles, where out of control wildfires have killed at least ten people and forced nearly 200,000 people to flee their homes. the pacific palisades fire has destroyed over 5300 buildings, making it now the city's most destructive blaze ever. meanwhile, a new fire in west hills has sparked fresh fears as police arrested a man on suspicion of arson, and insurance losses are expected to exceed well over $8 billion, with officials warning the crisis is far from over. and back here at home, a very different weather picture. temperatures in the north of the uk could drop as low as —20 c tonight, with the met office warning of severe cold and icy conditions. yellow warnings for ice and snow remain across scotland, wales and northern ireland, but they are set to expire by midday today. freezing fog is expected, though, to cause travel disruption in england and in wales, adding to earlier chaos at manchester airport and on the railways. meanwhile, hundreds of schools in sco