BBC - Victoria Derbyshire's Blog

Tuesday's programme will be busy

Victoria Derbyshire — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:02:18 +0000

Sir Chris Hoy is on the programme today - you can talk to him; also the lottery winners from Wales give a news conference at 10 (ish) and the lottery winners from Liverpool give a news conference at 11. Can money buy you happiness do you think? Plus Gordon Brown's monthly news conference at ten when he'll be questioned about that telephone conversation with the mother of a British soldier killed in Afghanistan. We can't play the conversation in full because it was a secret recording. Mrs Janes has agreed to the release of the recording, so far we haven't had permission from Downing St.

The top-flight ref battling cancer

Louisa Compton — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:23:27 +0000

Today Victoria spoke to Premier League referee Mark Halsey and his wife Michelle. Mark's having chemotherapy after being diagnosed with throat cancer just a few months ago, and Michelle has leukaemia - but despite their illness both are determined to stay upbeat, and Mark can't wait to get back to work.

You can listen to their interview here, on today's programme page.

Afghanistan..

Victoria Derbyshire — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:42:09 +0000

Morning...at 9am Gordon Brown gives a big speech on Afghanistan. Do listen to what he has to say and tell us what you think.

Back in S5

Victoria Derbyshire — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:59:08 +0000

..after Sir Christopher Kelly's news conference at Westminster yesterday. This morning we're expecting to hear whether there will be any sanctions on the Conservative MP Alan Duncan over his expenses arrangements. Back in July the Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Duncan took out a new mortgage on a house he already owned outright so that he could claim the mortgage interest on expenses.

Plus we hope to talk to various Europe Ministers from around the continent to ask their reaction to what the Conservatives would do about repatriating powers if they win the next election. The French one, Pierre Lellouche has been very outspoken in the Guardian today.

And all the latest news and sport of course.

BBC ID - the new comment system

Alex Murray — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:47:04 +0000

The BBC has a new blog sign-in called BBC iD. If you add a comment from now on you'll be prompted to upgrade your account(s). You only have to do it once and it should be quick.

One note of caution though: if you've got multiple BBC accounts, you'll only be able to upgrade one of them to BBC iD using your preferred username and email address.

If you have any questions or need a hand, you can get help over at the BBC Internet blog

Peter Bacon: I'm leaving the UK to start afresh

Victoria Derbyshire — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:20:52 +0000

"I'm thinking of a new name, a new Facebook identity, a new email...a new everything." The words of a 27 year old student from Canterbury who was charged - and cleared - of rape. It took a jury 45 minutes to decide that Peter Bacon had not raped a solicitor who'd claimed she was so drunk she couldn't have consented to sex. After his trial was over, Mr Bacon spoke to me - and it was clear that despite the acquittal - he was traumatised by what he'd gone through.

Today he is back on the programme to reveal the dramatic next steps he's taking to start his life again.

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Would YOU give him another chance?

Victoria Derbyshire — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:40:40 +0000

Should Wigan striker Marlon King ever be allowed to play professional football again?

McNulty keeps his promise

Louisa Compton — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:58:05 +0000

The former Home Office and Employment Minister Tony McNulty has apologised after being ordered to repay £13,837 of expenses claimed on his second home. Mr McNulty designated his constituency home in Harrow East, about 13 miles from Westminster, as his second home for expense purposes. It is also the home where his parents live permanently, while he himself lives in Hammersmith, about 3 miles from Westminster. When his expenses were first made the subject of an investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Mr McNulty promised to come back on this programme and discuss the issue in full. Today he kept his promise.

From Harrow to Hammersmith

Victoria Derbyshire — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:55:42 +0000

The former Home Office and Employment Minister Tony McNulty has been accused of abusing the expenses system by claiming for a house in which his parents lived. Mr McNulty designated his constituency home in Harrow East, about 13 miles from Westminster, as his second home for expenses purposes. It's also the home where his parents live permanently. Mr McNulty himself lives in a house in Hammersmith, about three miles away from the Commons.

The former minister has been the subject of a six month investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Sir John Lyon. When complete, his report was then passed to the cross-party Standards and Privileges Committee which is made up of five Labour MPs and five opposition MPs. We understand the Committee has decided that Mr McNulty should pay back £13,000 and apologise to the House of Commons.

Back in April I asked Mr McNulty about his expenses claims. You can listen to that interview below

We're hoping Mr McNulty will come back on the programme today.

The ultimate sacrifice

Victoria Derbyshire — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:18:13 +0000

I'd like to tell you about Corporal Sean Binnie, from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland - who died from a bullet wound while on a routine patrol with the Afghan National Army on the 7th of May. He was 22.

And Private John Brackpool of Prince of Wales's Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards - a rifleman who was killed during an engagement with insurgent forces near Lashkar Gah on the 9th of July this year - the bloodiest month ever for UK forces in Afghanistan. He was 27.

Lance Corporal Steven Fellows, known as Jamie - from Whiskey Company, 45 Commando Group Royal Marines died in an explosion on the 12th of December last year, while on patrol in an armoured vehicle. He was 26.

]]>This morning we'll talk to the women they left behind.

UPDATE (28/10/2009 at 12:36):

You can have a listen back to the interview in full using the player below.

Also today - what do you think of the new plans to reform MPs' expenses? No more claiming mortgage interest on second homes and no more employing of politicians' relatives...

How's the recession affecting you?

Louisa Compton — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:49:38 +0000

So, Britain is STILL in recession. Official figures released this morning show the economy shrank for the sixth quarter in a row -- that's the longest downturn since records began in the fifties.

The 0.4 percent slump came as a surprise to experts who'd predicted the economy would grow between July and September.

Shelagh Fogarty's standing in for Victoria today and she's been presenting the programme from St Stephen's shopping centre in Hull as part of 5 Live's Octoberfest.

Does the postal strike make sense?

Louisa Compton — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:41:58 +0000

What's it like being a Royal Mail postman 24 hours before you go on strike? This morning an insight into their job - the routine, how the job has changed over the years and what's the one thing that would make their job better. We're going to speak to three postmen on the programme all of whom are members of the CWU and all of whom voted for the strike.

Also what was Robbie Williams first live performance for 3 years like, and Windows 7 - are you going to fork out for it?

Pioneering surgery has transformed this woman's life...

Victoria Derbyshire — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:34:51 +0000

This morning Katie Piper speaks about the horrendous acid attack she endured and the pioneering surgery she received that not only saved her life but gave her optimism for the future.

18 months ago Miss Piper was an aspiring model and TV presenter. She started going out with a man called Danny Lynch. She met him on Facebook and after a couple of dates he subjected her to a violent rape - holding her captive for eight hours in a hotel room. Four days later he persuaded her to leave her flat and, as she left - an accomplice of Danny Lynch's threw a cup of acid in her face.

That attack destroyed the skin on much of her face, neck, hands and throat, and left her blind in one eye and needing to be fed through a tube in her stomach.

You can listen to the full interview via iPlayer.

]]>Also today, the City Minister Lord Myners on the FSA's decision to ban self-certification mortgages. How will that affect you? And Jenson Button - how worthy a winner is he? Have a look at what people are saying on my Twitter page.

Baby survives after being run over by train

Louisa Compton — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:17:42 +0000

A six month old baby's had a miraculous escape after his pram was dragged thirty metres along a train track in Australia. His mother could only watch as the buggy rolled off the platform just as the train came into the station. In the end though the baby only got a cut to the forehead.

Would you like a weather forecast like Radio 4's PM prog?

Victoria Derbyshire — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:52:48 +0000

Our colleagues at PM have introduced a new style of weather forecast. The reason? A number of their listeners found they couldn't remember the details of the conventional forecast. Have a look at Eddie Mair's blog. John Hammond from the Met Office is going to try it out today just before 10.30.

Also on today's programme - we hope to speak to the Schools Secretary Ed Balls, to react to the huge review of primary school education which suggests that children shouldn't begin formal lessons until they are 6. Plus the 17 year old British tennis star who's about to turn professional, Heather Watson.

]]>And I'll speak to the 24 year old woman who's about to get married - but before she does she's going to have an operation to be sterilised. Can you know at such a young age that you really don't want children later in life?