mr sunak will address his party conference tomorrow. also on the programme this lunchtime... jade's law — legislation named after this murdered mother — would strip people who kill their partners of their parental rights. families protest outside the covid inquiry as it examines borisjohnson�*s decisions during the pandemic. and firefighters work through the night after a lightning strike that caused a gas explosion in oxfordshire. and coming up on bbc news: 30 years since their first meeting, manchester united take on galatasaray in their opening champions league home game of the season

good afternoon. the prime minister has said he won't be rushed to making a decision about the h52 high speed rail link, after widespread reports that he is planning to axe the birmingham to manchester leg of the project. he told the bbc today he wants to take time to consider what to do next. let's get the latest now from our political correspondent nick eardley at the conservative party conference in manchester. talk about hst has dominated conference this week. the prime minister wants _ conference this week. the prime minister wants to _ conference this week. the prime minister wants to talk _ conference this week. the prime minister wants to talk about - minister wants to talk about long—term decisions at this conference, trying to tell us across the country that he is prepared to make big, difficult decisions, but these conferences see the normal intensity of politics dialled up. every single comment you make is scrutinised for what it might or might not mean. what has been

fascinating over the last few days is, there has been a lack of any sort of clarity from the government not just on whether sort of clarity from the government notjust on whether it is cancelling the birmingham to manchester leg of h52 but the birmingham to manchester leg of hs2 but what it might do instead. that is what has been dominating conversations here. the prime minister spoke a little while ago to our political editor, chris mason. prime minister, you're promising this week long term decisions for a brighterfuture. will you announce your decision tomorrow on hs2? i know there's a lot of speculation on this, but what i can say is i'm going to approach this the same way i approach everything — thoughtfully, carefully, across the detail, and making what i believe is the right decision in the long term for our country. that's what i did recently on net zero. that's how i'll approach all decisions, because that's the change i want to bring. i think for too long politicians have just taken the easy way out, focused on the short term. i want to do things differently, and i think if we can change politics, that's how we're going to change our country. and that's the type of leadership that i want to bring.

you've said that government after government has taken decisions that no—one seems to be happy with. what's been going wrong, in your view? well, ithink, look, net zero is a great example of this. i think a consensus had built up that we were just on this path and no—one had stopped to think, "hang on, what about the impact of this on ordinary people's budgets?" and i thought the approach we were on wasn't right. now, we can still hit all our targets. this is your first party conference as prime minister, but everyone's voice here seems louder than yours, prime minister. is this what leadership looks like? it's a conservative party conference, we've got lots of people here, but actually the spirit of this conference is great. people are upbeat. i think people have got a spring in their step. they're united behind what we're doing. my approach to net zero is one which is broadly supported across notjust the party but the country. just yesterday, the chancellor announced an increase in the national living wage. that's a £1,000 pay rise for two million people. on sunday we have... but it was overshadowed by liz truss turning up and commanding an entire room, or the conservative mayor of the west midlands saying what he was saying about hs2. they were dominating the agenda, not you.

no, they're not. the things i'm talking about are making a real difference to people. pay rise for two million people. national living wage going up. 55 towns across our country being backed with £1 billion of funding where we're putting local people in charge. you've said you're willing to be brave even if there's a political cost. you know who that reminded me of? it reminded me of liz truss a year ago where she said she was "prepared to be unpopular", and look where she ended up. how unpopular are you willing to be? now, i'm going to do what i believe is right for the country in the long term. that's the change that i want to bring. i think if we can change politics, do politics differently, focus on what's right... even if it makes you more unpopular? focus on what's right in the long term, i think ultimately that's what the british public want to see, because that's how they'll see that change is going to be delivered. and you saw that on net zero. i set out a new course. it's going to save people five, ten, £15,000. we're going to meet our target. i got criticism for that decision. but what i'm prepared to do... sure, but how do you win an election while saying that you're willing to be unpopular?

well, look, i'm prepared to persuade people that what i'm doing is right — doing a long term workforce plan forthe nhs, hiring the doctors and nurses we need, making sure we have more energy security here at home, making sure we have a more proportionate approach to net zero, setting up the furlough scheme. none of these things were easy. in all cases, i did what i believe is right for the long term of our country. that's a different way to do politics. 0ur political editor chris mason speaking to the prime minister. some commentators saying that this conference has been sidetracked by hsz, conference has been sidetracked by hs2, what can the prime minister do to get it back on track? that h52, what can the prime minister do to get it back on track?— to get it back on track? that will be his big challenge _ to get it back on track? that will be his big challenge in _ to get it back on track? that will be his big challenge in his - to get it back on track? that will| be his big challenge in his speech tomorrow, ben. it is strange, because rishi sunak went into this conference hoping that he could sell himself to the country and come up with some big answers to big questions. the problem is, when you set yourself high standards of being prepared to make unpopular decisions, when people ask those questions, you expect answers, and

h52 questions, you expect answers, and hs2 has taken up a lot of the oxygen of publicity that always comes with these big political conferences. what rishi sunak will be trying to do over the next 2a hours is to grab back the initiative, to say, look, i have ideas, i have got a plan. you heard him starting to outline that heard him starting to outline that he wants to be the candidate of so—called change, no mean feat, given how long the conservatives have been in power, and how long rishi sunak was at the top table but remember the context to all of this. the tories are well behind in the opinion polls, there are many activists here who think a lot of people are starting to jockey for position to be the next conservative leader, assuming a general election loss. that is not the view of number ten, they still think the result is all to play for but the main message from many conservative activists and some mps in the bars and fringe meetings around here, they want to

hear a lot more from the prime minister about what that vision that could win a general election looks like, in practice. two years ago, a young woman called jade ward was stabbed and strangled to death by her estranged husband. russell marsh was convicted of her murder and yet, under the law, he still had parental rights over their children. now new legislation, known as jade's law, will be introduced to strip people who murder their partners # mamma mia, here i go again...# full of life, and love for her young sons. this was jade ward, just a few days before she was killed in her own home by her estranged husband. the judge described russell marsh as being consumed with jealousy and self—pity. he attacked jade as their children slept nearby and was jailed for at least 25 years. since losing their daughter two years ago, jade's parents have been

helping to raise herfour sons, but they've had to live with continuous contact from her killer, asking for photographs and school reports of the children. now that's going to change, and he'll be stripped of his parental rights. he wanted to know, you know, how the boys were doing in school, and this and that. and it was like, "how dare you? how dare you, after you've done that to your children's mum." the change took two years of campaigning and a petition with over 100,000 names to achieve. the government will set out the details later today. at least we can now finally, finally... we haven't grieved, really, properly. no, we haven't grieved. and that's scary. we haven't grieved properly. really scary. and we haven't laid her to rest yet. and now we can lay her to rest. their hope is that the new law

will act as a deterrent against violent crime, and other families won't face the same anguish they've had to endure, giving jade a lasting legacy. hywel griffith, bbc news. striking hospital consultants in england have urged the government to use the conciliation service acas to avoid more industrial action in the health service. consultants and junior doctors in england are currently striking for three days, over pay. radiographers have joined them today for a 2k hour strike. 0ur health correspondent, sharon barbour, joins us from manchester. sharon, how likely are we to see more strikes in the nhs this winter? right now that is pretty high. today the bma put to the government, come and talk to us on stage at this rally here which is right next to

the party conference, say that you will agree to some discussion over talks, and if you don't, and it is notjust a genuine opera, if you don't do that then we will ballot members, this is what the consultants, and take more strike action over november and december, which must fill the health service with terror, so the junior doctors, they also continue to plan industrial action, they also continue to plan industrialaction, but they also continue to plan industrial action, but they have had their offers on pay, but the government is saying they have made a fair and reasonable offer, and they were ready in april to talk to they were ready in april to talk to the striking junior doctors... sharon, i am sorry, the striking junior doctors... sharon, iam sorry, we the striking junior doctors... sharon, i am sorry, we are having problems with the line from manchester, sharon barbour, our health correspondent.

a 13—year—old boy has admitted causing the death of a grandmother by driving over her in her own car. 60—year—old marcia grant died outside her home in sheffield in april. the teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at sheffield crown court. let's get the latest on this now from our correspondent danny savage, who's outside the court. danny? thing in this case is the age of the defendant, the victim, marcia grant was 60 but the boy who killed her was 60 but the boy who killed her was 12 years old at the time but has since turned 13. it is about events in the green hill area of sheffield in the green hill area of sheffield in april this year. the prosecution, in april this year. the prosecution, in a previous hearing, described cctv, which basically shows what happened at the time and shows mrs grant standing behind her own car, and then reversing over her. she was knocked over, causing her to fall back and hit her head and that resulted in catastrophic injuries. the young driver at the time told

the police that "it looks like i got my first kill", he went on to say it was an accident but the defence have said that the issue is what can be inferred from those comments. marcia grant was described as a warm, loving and dedicated wife, mother and sister. she had a very large family. and basically what happened todayis family. and basically what happened today is that you now 13—year—old appeared by video link at sheffield crown court. he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and so, the next stage is that he will be sentenced in december. thank ou, dann will be sentenced in december. thank you. danny savage — will be sentenced in december. thank you, danny savage reporting. - decisions made by borisjohnson and his government during the pandemic will come under scrutiny as the latest part of the covid inquiry gets under way today. whatsapp messages sent between the former prime minister of the covid inquiry gets under way today. see whatsapp messages sent between the former prime minister and other senior officials are expected to form an important part of the evidence,

as our health reporter jim reed reports. 0utside this inquiry in west london, families gathered. relatives of some of those who lost their lives to covid want to see more bereaved families called to give evidence. out of respect for the bereaved, we certainly feel that it should be a dozen, 20 people. clearly not everybody, but certainly so lady hallett and everybody else within the inquiry gets a real understanding of what's happened. inside the building, the chair opened this section of the inquiry with a message to those families. we simply do not have the time to call more witnesses. the need for me to reach conclusions and make recommendations to reduce suffering in the future when the next pandemic hits the uk is pressing. a powerful film was played with testimony from some of those most affected. we never found out how she caught it. we were all careful.

we had the lockdown, so i was unable to visit my mum. the care home was closed to visitors. this crucial second part of the inquiry will run until christmas and examine key decisions made during the pandemic, including the speed of the government's response, the effectiveness of social distancing, face masks and other lockdown measures, and public confidence in the government, including the effect of any rule breaches by ministers and officials. they expect senior politicians, including borisjohnson, to give evidence, and their whatsapp messages to be made public. at the conservative party conference this morning, the prime minister refused to be drawn on reports that he has failed to hand over texts after changing his phone. have you said in your written testimony that there are some messages, because of a change in your phone or whatever it might be, that you don't have access to? i think, as people will know, this is a legal inquiry. there is a full process.

i submit a lot of different evidence and documentation, i will be interviewed, all that will be transparent and public. and of course i'm helping with all of that, as people would expect. we want to learn the lesson from covid. learning those lessons will take time, with the inquiry set to last for three more years. expect to hear much more about the vaccine roll—out, about care homes, about the nhs, about crucial decisions which changed so many lives. jim reed, bbc news. the time is 15 minutes past one. our top story this lunchtime... rishi sunak says, despite widespread speculation, he won't be rushed into a premature decision on the future of the hs2 high speed rail line. and still to come — the scottish street that's been flooded 200 times in the last two centuries. coming up on bbc news, two contenders take the final steps before the start of the cricket world cup, as australia and pakistan meet on the last day of warm up matches in india, two days before the tournament begins for real.

a fireball lit up the sky over 0xford last night after lightning hit gas containers at a food—waste recycling plant. there were no reported casualties but roads in the area were closed as emergency crews worked through the night to control the fire. sean coughlan joins us from near the site now. sean, bring us up to date on what happened. as you say, last night was quite an apocalyptic vision with a huge cassius fireball in the sky. a bit quieter today, we have seen firefighters coming to the site, checking it out, dumping it down, assessing damage. we think there are three of these great big containers which look like miniature millennium

jones, some have gone, some are still left. no one was hurt, a great relief to everyone involved, but people go a scare and social media was flooded with people filming and sharing and trying to understand what happened with this massive gas explosion which made the skies of 0xfordshire turn orange —— but people got scared. here is the report to show you what happened last night. after last night cosmic explosion, here is the scene this morning two of the biogas terms. there was a huge fireball of a outside of oxford. as well as lighting up the 0xford. as well as lighting up the skies, a pledge social media. people from miles around startled by the explosion and the orange glow in the skies —— as well as lighting up the skies, it lit up social media. roads

were closed after the explosion caused by the igniting of gas in a plant which turns waste food into energy. the industrial site was empty last night but locals including terry heard the explosion during a thunderstorm. an including terry heard the explosion during a thunderstorm. an enormous flash, followed _ during a thunderstorm. an enormous flash, followed by _ during a thunderstorm. an enormous flash, followed by a _ during a thunderstorm. an enormous flash, followed by a very, _ during a thunderstorm. an enormous flash, followed by a very, very - during a thunderstorm. an enormous flash, followed by a very, very loud l flash, followed by a very, very loud bang. ijust assumed it was flash, followed by a very, very loud bang. i just assumed it was a lightning strike very nearby. a couple of minutes later my neighbour e—mailed and said, i had just heard that huge bang and flash and looked outside and there is a red glow in the sky. and i said it is possible, i suppose, it hit the digestive system. i went upstairs, looked out the window, could not see anything but there were about six fire engines at the end of the line and after a while they moved off to deal with it. �* ., ., ., ., , with it. after the drama of last niuht with it. after the drama of last night with _ with it. after the drama of last night with the _ with it. after the drama of last night with the huge _ with it. after the drama of last night with the huge fireball- with it. after the drama of last night with the huge fireball in l with it. after the drama of last i night with the huge fireball in the sky, much, this morning. we have had some firefighters on site, they are

in a cherry picker looking down on the scene. so far we think three storage units have been damaged, they will be checking for the scale of the destruction and we expect safety experts to look at the scene and work out how the lightning strike caused such a dramatic explosion over the skies of 0xfordshire. 0xfordshire fire and rescue were on scene through the night and say an investigation will continue for the next few days. planned strikes on the london underground have been called off following "significant progress" in talks overjobs and conditions. around 3,000 members of the rmt union were due to take industrial action tomorrow and friday over a dispute with transport for london over 600 post closures. police scotland is being advised to carry out an urgent review to make sure all of its officers and staff have been through a vetting process. an inspection by the police watchdog was unable to find records that all the force's officers and staff had been thoroughly evaluated.

0ur scotland correspondent, lorna gordon, is glasgow. lorna? yes, the conviction of sarah everard's mergea wayne couzens and of david carrick, found guilty of 49 charges including rape and sexual assault, they were both serving met police officers and it led to a nationwide check of all offices in the uk including a process under way in scotland. the report has found some gaps, the author of the report found that while he thinks the majority of officers and staff have betting records it is possible some officers who joined two or three decades ago underwent a more informal procedure and were not rigorously vetted. he said some staff have not been vetted since starting the career search records do not exist for all staff. its report pointed out the force has no

easily identifiable process requiring officers to flag up penny opportunity criminal convictions or charges, more a process review clearance following misconduct. the inspectorate is calling for every officer and member of staff to be vetted again every decade, saying the government need to legislate in scotland to allow the chief constable to dismiss those who do not meet the standards required by the vetting process. police scotland said the the force's values has never been stronger. lorna gordon, thank you. there's been a small drop in food prices — it's the first time we've seen a month—on—month fall in more than two years. according to the british retail consortium, they fell by 0.1% in september compared with august this year. but analysts say more than half of households are still feeling "significant" cost of living pressures. our business correspondent, emma simpson, is with me. what's the big picture here, emma?

firstly, this is just firstly, this isjust a firstly, this is just a snapshot, but a pretty good one. the british retail consortium run a monthly survey on shop price inflation and full food they look at 250 every day popular products. what they are reporting today is prices on average dropped by a sliver from reporting today is prices on average dropped by a sliverfrom september to august and they say this is being driven by fierce competition in the supermarket aisles. things like dairy, fish and vegetables were all cheaper on average than the month before, but we have seen a wave of price cuts in the supermarket and this is obviously encouraging news for households. but when it comes to inflation you have to look at the annual rate. for september on this measure the food price inflation is running at 9.9%. that means that prices were higher, 9.9% in

september, compared to the previous year. that is still incredibly high but it has at least come down to single digits because if you look at the peak in inflation for the dlc, that was just the peak in inflation for the dlc, that wasjust under 16% the peak in inflation for the dlc, that was just under 16% in april. —— the peak in inflation for the brc. the brc expects grocery inflation to continue to fall for the rest of the yet better oil—price prices are climbing again and there is a worry about a global shortage of sugar. but i think the survey gives an early signal where the official figures on food inflation might be going when they come out in a few weeks. emma simpson, thank you. a bbc investigation has revealed some security guards are not being properly trained. an undercover reporter from the file on four programme paid extra money to complete a mandatory six—day course in just one day and a half. the security industry authority, which regulates the security

companies, has launched an investigation. greg mckenzie reports. the security industry is under scrutiny. this secretly filmed footage shows trainers cutting corners and faking time sheets, allowing untrained and unqualified security guards onto the front lines. soon the people on this course, run by steps institution, will be able to apply for a license to be a security worker at arenas, live events, on nightclubs. the trainer, from caetop college, in this video is clearly heard giving his students the answers in what is meant to be a tough and rigorous exam designed

to test their knowledge. in order to work as security staff at public events, you must have completed a security industry authority approved six day in—person course, including first aid. but the bbc�*s file on a programme has revealed that some companies are offering candidates courses which last as little as a day and a half, and one, first aid wasn't even taught. an inquiry into the manchester arena terrorist attack in 2017 exposed a fatal lack of training for those meant to be protecting the public. 22 people died. earlier this year, bbc�*s file on 4 revealed how some security staff at the brixton academy in south london took bribes to let people in to a sold out gig. two people died in a crush at that event.

we've told the family of dog handler gaby hutchinson, the 23—year—old who died in the brixton cross last year, about what we've uncovered. —— the 23—year—old who died in the brixton crush last year. i think you can't put a price on people's safety, and that's exactly what they've done. they've said that safety isn't important. and within the industry, as we know and we've learned a lot of people aren't trained to the right degree. and then there's people like gaby who will do everything they can to train up and be as good as they can be, and itjust puts them all to shame, and it puts their safety at risk and the public at risk. it's just not acceptable. ijust think, would you cut...? so if i paid you a couple of extra grand to do a nursing degree at 1.5 years, would you let me do it? would you let me go into hospital and look after people and do the stuff that nurse would do or a doctor? would you cut the time down? you wouldn't, would you?

so why would you do it to security industry? there are urgent calls for tighter regulations on security staff and those who train them. the security industry authority, which regulates the industry, says it is now investigating, and our evidence indicates criminality, which they will be referring to the police. despite our findings steps institution deny the allegations while caetop college are yet to send us a response. greg mckenzie, bbc news. you can hear the full investigation on bbc sounds, search for file on 4. the whitesands in dumfries is one of the most regularly flooded urban areas in scotland. according to bbc research, there have been more than 200 incidents of flooding — like this — in the last 200 years. the local authority has been discussing for decades the best way to deal with the flooding and tomorrow councillors will decide whether to go ahead with their latest flood prevention scheme, or delay and rethink. here's reporting scotland's aileen clark. 0n the 30th of december last year,

you'd have been hard pushed to know where the river nith stopped and the whitesands car park started. atjust over 5.3 metres, it was the highest river level ever recorded here. it was a very distressing hogmanay for riverside businesses. oh, it was devastating, wasn't it? it really was. we came in the morning and it wasjust... just the mess, the sheer mess. so it was right up to just below the line here. this family have run a flower shop on the whitesands for a0 years. they have doubts about the flood prevention scheme as planned. i don't think it's going to work. what they need to do is dredge it. problem is they have the rising wall during the flood, and we think that might be a better idea. plus, the upheaval of the road being closed for, what, they said two years to do it. people just won't come down if they can't get parked. part of the £37 million scheme would involve transforming that very flat car park, sometimes used by the fair as well as shoppers, and creating a steeper bank

along the riverside. here on the river nith you've got water coming down from the hills and you've got the tide coming in. so when you've got a lot of rain on the hills and a very high tide, well, that's a combination that can cause a lot of problems for people here on the whitesands. there's been regular flooding documented here for nearly 200 years. the council have noted, though, that in the last decade it's becoming more frequent. definitely get started, because it's a constant recurring problem. go ahead with what's already on the board. if they're going to go back to the drawing board, they're throwing money away. there's been multiple schemes. they're not all perfect, - but at least do something. so any chairs that we left down here, and the small coffee tables, were just floating about in the water. back in december, the flooding cost ross anderson many thousands of pounds, but he's not relying on the council to come up with a solution. he's taken matters into his own hands. it's buy sand and sandbags every year, check the pumps out, buy new generators. it's all of this that we do every

season, but it's part of running the business on the whitesands. that's just why the rent is cheap. the scottish government would fund 80% of the planned flood scheme, but dumfries and galloway council will still have to find £7.5 million. tomorrow, councillors will debate whether to go ahead, review or go back to the drawing board. eileen clark, reporting scotland, dumfries. time for a look at the weather. here's tomasz schafernaker. more rain on the way for that part of scotland? 5c! more rain on the way for that part of scotland?— of scotland? 50 millimetres, a coule of of scotland? 50 millimetres, a couple of inches _ of scotland? 50 millimetres, a couple of inches over - of scotland? 50 millimetres, a couple of inches over the - of scotland? 50 millimetres, a couple of inches over the next| of scotland? 50 millimetres, a . couple of inches over the next few days, triple but in some areas, lots of wet weather across parts of western and central scotland. the overall message for the uk as a whole is that it will be turning warmer, not necessarily sunny but getting warmer in the coming days. it has freshened a little compared to yesterday, a weather front went

through which is now over