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Connect the World
Brexit Family Drama Rocks British Prime Minister; U.K. Prime Minister Boris John to Speak Amid Brexit Chaos; U.S. Coast Guard has Rescued 135 People in Bahamas; Dorian Thrashes Carolinas, now a Cat-2 Hurricane; Trump Show Altered Map of Dorian's Trajectory; Interview with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Lightweight Ultimate Fighter Champion. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired September 05, 2019 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I think it is very sad that MPs have voted like this. I think it's a great dereliction of their democratic
duty.
JEREMY CORBYN, LEADER, LABOUR PARTY: He is now desperate to have an election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, we want an election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: It is baffling, it's bewildering, you could say it's absolutely bonkers. It is Brexit. And the bizarreness goes on. As
the Prime Minister's own brother throws some family drama into the mix. Details on that are just ahead.
Then --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Think of the force required to throw a plane from the runway into a terminal. If anybody was here, I don't know
how they would have survived.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: CNN gives you an incredible look at how one storm nearly wiped out parts of the Bahamas. And now it's heading right for the U.S., but not
where Donald Trump thinks it is. Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV, LIGHTWEIGHT ULTIMATE FIGHTER CHAMPION: I am Khabib Nurmagomedov from Dagestan, Russia. I'm on CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He is the best lightweight ultimate fighter in the world. And he sits down with me only right here only right here on CONNECT THE WORLD
with a lot of track talk. What he said, just ahead.
It is 11:00 a.m. in the Bahamas, 4:00 p.m. in the British capital, 7:00 at night here in Abu Dhabi. A very warm welcome to all of you. You're
watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.
Now if you are confused by the epic mess that is Brexit, well fret not. You are most definitely not alone. It is really complicated, sure. But
let's be very clear. Brexit will have significant consequences for the U.K., for Europe, and for the global order. Let me break the latest news
on it for you and then break it all down.
We are waiting to hear from the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a series of very nasty defeats over Brexit. The setbacks from Parliament,
from his own party, and a surreal turn of events, even his own MP brother who is leaving government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JO JOHNSON, FORMER BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: I haven't got any further comment to say other than it has been an honor to be MP for Orpington and a
Minister under three governments. But it's time to move on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think your brother is wrecking the party, Mr. Johnson?
JOHNSON: Sorry, I beg your pardon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you completely at odds with your brother, Mr. Johnson?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, with all of the trouble at home, Boris Johnson hosted world leaders in London earlier. You'll see him here with U.S. Vice
President Mike Pence. He also met with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Meantime, the future of Brexit and the British people remains
in limbo. So what's going right for Boris Johnson and what happens next?
Hadas Gold is in Wakefield in England where the Prime Minister is due to speak in about 30 minutes time. Anna Stewart standing by at Downing Street
for you and Bianca Nobilo back outside Parliament for us.
Let's start with you, Bianca, Mr. Johnson is seemingly on a path that he didn't want to travel, arguably the whole country is now facing a fork in
the road. The question is what's next, a delayed Brexit or general election? And then of course Bianca, what's next? You could be forgiven
thinking this is a Prime Minister with absolutely no strategy, making it up as he goes along. Even his brother resigning in disgust. Is there some
method in Boris Johnson's seeming madness at this point?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's been the big question, Becky, here in Westminster circles. Is this some sort of master strategy,
conspiracy, or is it a mistake to use a slightly more polite phrase than what's being used to me with MPs I have been speaking to? Nobody really
knows, but a lot of blame has been directed at Boris Johnson's key adviser, Dominic Cummings. This was the person who led the vote leave campaign.
He is also apparently been responsible for that large swathe of sackings from the Conservative Party that we saw the very hard line that Boris
Johnson has taken, and this gamble that he took which has not paid off.
[11:05:00]
This was his idea that by trying to call the opposition's bluff and get early election, it would favor Boris Johnson because it would look like he
was in control of the narrative and he was putting it back to the people. But the Labour Party have declined to give him that, until no-deal Brexit
can be taken off the table, knowing full well, Becky, that if they do that, it's going to poison the Conservatives electorally, and really make it
difficult for them to mop up any of those Brexit party votes.
So now it looks as if a strategy which was intended to give Boris Johnson some kind of control over this has ended up playing into the opposition's
hand. Now with Joe Johnson resigning, his own blood, his brother, it underscores even further the split within the Conservative Party, which was
once referred to as a broad church, and it's also having a resonance with people here in the United Kingdom. Because, Becky, as everybody knows,
this is confusing, it is archaic. It's hard to follow.
But the idea of somebody's brother not feeling comfortable to remain in government and in cabinet with their brother who is Prime Minister because
they don't agree with a strategy, well that does sets off alarm bells in most people here in the UK.
ANDERSON: Yes. And not even his brother buying his strategy. It has been a busy couple days for Boris Johnson, a bit of a break perhaps, today he
had two very important visitors at Number 10, so to squeeze in amongst his bizarreness that is Brexit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence coming to town. What came out of those meetings out of interest?
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Yes. It is really a week of firsts, Becky. First vote for Boris as Prime Minister and first defeat and a few after
that. And his first meeting with a Middle Eastern leader, Netanyahu, arriving this morning at
Downing Street. On the way to this meeting, the Israeli Prime Minister said that is a lightning visit, and he really wanted to focus talking about
Iran, saying this is not the time to carry out talks with Iran, this is the time to pressure Iran.
Now, we've actually just had a statement from Number 10 Downing Street summarizing what they spoke about saying Boris Johnson restating the U.K.'s
recommitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East. Also agreeing on the need to prevent Iran getting a nuclear weapon, stop wider destabilizing
Iranian behavior. Prime Minister stressing the need for dialogue and a diplomatic solution. Becky, I think it's really important to remember that
Netanyahu is of course on his own election campaign right now. Many people will see this back at home as him bolstering his international standing.
And then of course this is not the only bilateral for Boris, it's been a very, very busy day. Also Mike Pence, U.S. Vice President, now he passed
on more good wishes and support from U.S. President Donald Trump. They restated that they want an ambitious U.S.-U.K. trading relationship. Boris
Johnson saying that he wants to sell British beef, lamb, and Scottish delicacy Haggis to the United States, but said there are some limitations.
They do not want to put the NHS, the British Health Service, up for sale.
And he cracked a gag at the end, it seemed to be a quite colorful meeting, saying that the U.K. media has been not too keen on the whole chlorinated
chicken issue, saying they already have a chlorinated chicken of their own on the opposition benches referring of course to Jeremy Corbyn, the leader
of the opposition. A joke we already had once before, and we're likely to get again -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. Absolutely. All right, well, thank you for that. That's London for you. I want to get to the north. Because Hadas Gold is in
Wakefield, the Prime Minister on his way, certainly, expected to speak within the next 20 minutes or so. This is an opposition stronghold and
leave strong hold, i.e., we want the U.K. out of the EU. This is going to be a tough ask, and a tough audience for the Prime Minister tonight, isn't
it?
HADAS GOLD, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Yes, Becky, it's an interesting place to make the announcement. So Boris Johnson is just outside of Wakefield at
a police training academy, where he is expected to announce a new initiative to hire tens of thousands of new officers over the next three
years. But it is notable that he is here in Wakefield.
As you said, this is a Labour stronghold, but it's one of those Labour strongholds that heavily voted to leave, more than 60 percent of people
here voted for Brexit, and they most interestingly actually also voted for the member of European Parliament as member of the Brexit Party. So it is
sort of an interesting division between the Labour Party and then these pro-Brexit factions. And I think it's really a place that can show you
sort of where this country is going, where the divisions are going.
We spent today talking to people here. And what was most interesting to me is how many from both sides of the divide, Labour, Conservative, Brexit
Party, people who voted to leave, people that voted to remain, actually a lot of them want a general election and they see it as a fresh start. Take
a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It will sort the men out from the boys, basically, I think if they're going to keep arguing about Brexit for the next two years,
they might as well just say right (INAUDIBLE).
WILL CARTER, RETAIL WORKER: Yes, certainly.
GOLD: Why?
[11:10:00]
CARTER: Because it's been a disaster basically. I mean I think we've now since Brexit, we have been through three Prime Ministers, various Brexit
ministers, and no one seems to know what they're doing. So, we certainly need a change.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD: And what's most interesting is actually if that argument that Boris Johnson is claiming to make against Jeremy Corbyn, he's going to possibly
try set himself up and his government up against a Jeremy Corbyn government, saying that it would be the worst thing for the U.K., possibly
even worse than a no-deal Brexit. And there are some polling data to back that up. A recent poll by "Politico" found that more people find that a
worst-case scenario would be Jeremy Corbyn as PM instead of no-deal Brexit -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Hadas is in Wakefield in the north of England, and we've been in London for you with our fine correspondents. Brexit enormously complicated
with twists and turns and intrigues. Fear not. We sort things out for you in an analysis piece on CNN.com that says the British government is, quote,
falling to pieces in front of our very eyes. Have a go with that. CNN.com.
All right, a rather big story this hour, of course, we're going to get you on both sides of Hurricane Dorian, where it is going and where it has been.
And we're waiting to hear from CNN's Paula Newton who has been in the devastated Abaco Islands in the Bahamas as soon as we can get to her, we
will bring her report.
Right now, emergency crews carry out rescue operations across one of the hardest-hit areas. The U.S. Coast Guard says at least 135 people have been
rescued since Dorian struck, even though the weather has improved, the conditions as you can see remain treacherous. The Bahamian Prime Minister
has called the devastation generational. A number of people who have lost their lives has increased to 20. And that unfortunately is expected to
rise further.
Well, the scale of destruction and the challenges ahead are especially clear at Grand Bahamas' only airport. CNN's Patrick Oppmann had exclusive
access there on Wednesday. This is what he and his team saw.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are on the runway at the Freeport Airport. It has been inaccessible for days. There was a river between the
rest of the city and this airport, it was completely underwater. It looked like the waves were crashing -- waves were crashing against this airport.
Look how destroyed it is right now. Just about every side, 8 feet to 10 feet up has been leveled, ripped in, torn in. Look at it now. I don't
recognize it. There's not a wall standing.
You think about the need this island has right now for a functioning airport to get injured people out, to get supplies in, and this airport
right now is completely destroyed. I have never seen anything like it in my life. This is complete and utter devastation like I've never seen.
Jose is going to point the camera. Look at this. That's a wheel. This is the underside of a plane. This is what's left of the wing. You think of
the force required to throw a plane from the runway into a terminal. If anybody was here, I don't know how they would have survived.
I have seen a lot of damage on the island. This is the absolute most devastated area I've seen so far. It will be possible for anyone who is
injured or just wants to get off the island, to leave from here. Aid will not be able to come into this part of the airport, into this airport at
all. Because it's just a debris field now. So if help is going to come, it's going to have to come through some other way, boats, another airfield.
But this is really the only -- this is the only airfield for the island, and it is in utter ruins.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Devastating stuff. Well, that's Patrick for you. I want to get to where Dorian is right now and where it is headed. It's just been
downgraded to a category two storm, once again, with 177 kilometer an hour winds. More than 200,000 people are without power along the U.S. East
Coast now, and more than a million ordered to evacuate their homes as this hurricane brings wind and rain to the Carolinas. Right now the eye of the
storm is about 100 kilometers off Charleston, South Carolina.
[11:15:00]
Ivan Cabrera with the very latest on Dorian's likely path and impact. First up though, Brian Todd who is soaking it all in quite literally in
Charleston -- Brain.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Becky. The flooding is getting very, very bad here at this hour, and it's only going to get worse in the
next couple hours. Because in about two hours to three hours from now, you're going to have high tide here. And between high tide, storm surge
and this pounding rain that has really been unrelenting, it's only going to get worse.
Look down Ashley Avenue you can see it's flooded all the way down. The Ashley River which is a very low-lying river is just beyond those trees and
that wall over there about a block away. So the storm surge from the Ashely River has already pushed into here. And it's going to be high tide
in two hours or more. And this is only getting worse. Because the rain is going to be pretty much unrelenting.
Check it out, how it's threatening these houses, the water has already come up to the level of this fence here, it's come up to the level to the front
door of this yellow house. A couple of them have elevated doors, so they're OK for now. But again, when the storm surge really pushes in, we
talked to two people here in these houses, they are worried about how their houses are going to fair. And this lady who lives in this house here just
told us that she has no power.
And you can see look at the precariousness of the power lines. Now we're under them but we're a fairly safe distance away I have to say. But look
at how flimsy some of them are here, and how they're very fragile. Because they could come down very easily especially in storms like this. There are
downed power lines all over the city.
I talked to the Mayor's office a short time ago, they've got 85 road closures, 26 of them are flood related. So you've got scenes like this
repeated throughout the city. You've got 115 downed trees. Again, that number is going to go up. You can see how some of these trees are
threatened by the wind and rain as it comes. And again, we are hitting about the peak cycle of this storm here.
Becky, they had about 360 some thousand people evacuate from the low-lying areas of South Carolina, they say that that's about a little less than half
those that were told to evacuate, given mandatory evacuation orders. So a lot of people stayed put. But people here are very cognizant of Hurricane
Hugo which really slammed this city 30 years ago.
But more recently, they are just feeling the effects of now the third major hurricane to impact this area in the last three years. You had Hurricane
Matthew in 2016, Hurricane Irma in 2017, and now Dorian just lashing this area with wind and rain and flooding. A very low-lying city on a peninsula
vulnerable to it. They have had three hurricanes in three years, they're wondering how much more they can take -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's unbelievable. That's the Carolinas. You have been in the Bahamas with us this hour as well. Where next? That's what we know
about Hurricane Dorian to date. Where is it likely to go next? Ivan is in the house. What have you got for us?
IVAN CABRERA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So, Becky, the storm in the next 6 to 12 hours is basically going to be over Brian there and then continue over
North Carolina, particularly dangerous there in Charleston. The way they evacuate the water or drain the waters through the rivers going out into
the Atlantic. The problem is all that heavy rain that's trying to go out is getting pushed back in by the storm surge and by the tides that are
going to be coming in this afternoon. So it's basically a backed-up sink and the water has nowhere to go but up along resident's homes
Here's the latest from the National Hurricane Center, 175-kilometer per hour winds. Yes, it's down to a 2. But we're splitting hairs. Because
it's very close to a 3 here. And this will continue then over the next several hours to move off to the north and east along the Carolinas, which
is why we have hurricane warnings there, the potential for one to two meter storm surge, and I'll leave you here, Becky, with a track that finally gets
out of the way by the time we get late into tomorrow, pushing out into the Atlantic, and eventually into Nova Scotia, over the next 12 hours, so still
quite a dangerous situation for the Carolinas and U.S. -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Ivan, thank you. All right. We know where Hurricane Dorian the is likely going next. There has been a lot of focus on where it was never
supposed to be going at all. Unless you listen to the President of the United States. Donald Trump, doubling down several times over on his claim
the southern U.S. state of Alabama could have been in danger from the hurricane. CNN's senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns joins me now
from the White House -- Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Becky, about five times now if you count the President's latest tweets, of course there is a
tendency in the United States, because this has happened before, to see the humor in it. However, you can argue that it is not humorous. Because in
this case it is the President of the United States putting out information that is incorrect at a time of national emergency with an enormous
hurricane threatening the United States East Coast.
[11:20:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS (voice-over): President Trump quadrupling down.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But that was the original chart. And you see it was going to hit not only Florida, but Georgia, was
going toward the Gulf. That's what was originally projected. And it took a right turn.
JOHNS: Again, falsely claiming Alabama was in the path of Hurricane Dorian when he said so on Sunday.
TRUMP: It may get a little piece of a great place called Alabama. And Alabama could even be in for at least some very strong winds and something
more than that it could be --
JOHNS: The President showing reporters in the Oval Office an altered map Wednesday with a black line crudely extending the cone of the hurricane
track to include Alabama. But a similar map released last week did not include the mark. It is a crime to alter official government weather
forecasts. The President initially made the claim about Alabama on Twitter Sunday morning, but it was debunked by the National Weather Service office
in Birmingham just 20 minutes later, reassuring Alabama will not see impacts from Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane Dorian will be
felt across Alabama.
Sources telling CNN there was a discussion about the early models of the storm before Wednesday's briefing and that a White House official in the
room drew on the map to show that Hurricane Dorian could have been much worse. A source familiar with the Oval Office briefing would not deny the
President dew the black sharpie line in the map. However, the President later denied knowledge of the alteration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That map that you showed us today looked like it almost had a Sharpie?
TRUMP: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.
JOHNS: Afterwards the President tweeting this map to try to bolster his argument, but that image is dated August 28, before the forecast became
clearer, and four days before the initial tweet. In small print at the bottom, a disclaimer reads NHC advisories and county emergency management
statements supersede this product.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: We don't like to use this word a lot, but isn't it ironic, the fact that this is a President who has railed against what he has called fake
news, and arguably this is the definition of it -- Becky
ANDERSON: Thank you, Joe.
This just in. Donald Trump's Middle East peace enjoy is going to be leaving the administration. An official says Jason Greenblatt will soon
leave, likely after the White House releases its plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now that proposal is expected sometime after
Israeli elections in just less than two weeks from now. Greenblatt of course has played a major part in crafting that plan. More on that story
of course as we get it here to CNN.
Well still to come, much more on the Brexit chaos as we await Prime Minister Johnson's first speech since last night's Parliamentary defeat.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV, LIGHTWEIGHT ULTIMATE FIGHTER CHAMPION: I am Khabib Nurmagomedov from Dagestan, Russia. I'm on CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: My interview with the UFC's lightweight champion just ahead. Do not go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: Well, it's the battle Royale bonanza that every fight fan has been waiting for. And it's happening just down the road from me here in
Abu Dhabi. UFC fighting champion Khabib Nurmagomedov . The man who dethroned Conor McGregor. The once King of ultimate fighter championship,
faces off against Dustin Poirier this Saturday. I sat down with Khabib just a couple of hours ago to ask him how he's feeling about the long
anticipated mixed martial arts mega event. This is what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Unbeaten, unstoppable, immiscible. Khabib Nurmagomedov is the UFC lightweight champion. He has never lost a fight.
Winning every single one of his 27 contests. His last fight though ended in controversy. Following his victory over Conor McGregor in October, a
passionate Khabib scaled the octagon, launching an attack against his opponent's team.
Now he's back following nine-month suspension. All eyes are now on Khabib as he gears up for one of the biggest type of fights in UFC history.
(on camera): Two champions going head to head for 25 minutes if it lasts that long to show who is the undisputed champion of the world. You have
been in Abu Dhabi all week. How are you feeling?
NURMAGOMEDOV: I feel great. I'm here, it's like almost 20 days. Before I come here a lot and I feel when I'm training here first couple of days it's
very hard because of the weather but right now it's good. Jet lag is finished.
ANDERSON: You call this place your part of the world. You've got an enormous amount of fans here and family this time. Your dad is here. He
is your wrestling coach. What's his advice been to you and how important that he is in your corner for the first time?
NURMAGOMEDOV: First time he is going to be in my corner. And this has been a lot for me and for him too because like a lot of people see fighters
but don't see coaches. I want people understand how great is my father.
ANDERSON: Let's talk about this fight. Dustin Poirier, he has said this fight is going to be a dog fight. How would you describe it?
NURMAGOMEDOV: It's going to be a dog fight if I want, if I want. If I didn't want, I'm going to dominate him. When I go to the cage, I then come
for my opponents. Dog fight is going to be for him, not for me. Because I'm going to dominate.
ANDERSON: Let's talk about that fight in Vegas. Because this is your first appearance since you were suspended after an after-fight brawl. You
jumped out of the octagon and went after Conor McGregor's coach and team. Why did you do it and do you regret it?
NURMAGOMEDOV: Why I do this. I think this show me exactly who I am. I stay relaxed, calm always with people. If people try to give me respect,
I'm going to give them respect. If they go crazy with me. I'm going to go crazy with them. Like more than these guys. And they think I'm just maybe
you are saying I'm just nice guy or something like this. I'm nice guy who nice with me, if people not nice with me, I'm not nice guy.
ANDERSON: The coach had been trash talking I think your family, your friends. Trash talking is part of UFC though, isn't it? That some people
say was a complete overreaction from you.
NURMAGOMEDOV: Trash talking in part of years, of course I know, I understand this. But when people beginning talking about like religion,
family, your parents, I think this is big disrespect. Nobody can talk about my family or something like this. I never let people talk about my
family.
ANDERSON: You've said your rivalry will Conor McGregor will never finish. But you also say you're not looking for a second fight with him, a return
match. Why?
NURMAGOMEDOV: Because for his type, you know, I make him tired, and he tough, you know. And people understand like his level of people understand
my level. I don't feel I have to prove something inside the cage with him. And you know, we have a lot of good contenders who deserve title shot, and
I'm going to fight with other opponents.
[11:30:05]
ANDERSON: One piece of advice for anybody who is new to UFC and looking forward to your fight, what would it be?
NURMAGOMEDOV: I think I am going to smash Dustin and that's it. If people want to see how one outlet can smash another outlet, and I don't like what
was like they call us champ versus champ, this is not champ versus champ. I am the champ. He is interim-champ. This is big difference. Saturday
night I'm going to include this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That's a man who doesn't mix his words. You heard it first here on CNN, mad eyes.
And from one knockout to another, we've got a historic match coming up next door in Saudi Arabia. For the first time a heavyweight championship fight
will takes place in the Middle East. Former world champion Anthony Joshua will battle the current champion Andy Ruiz Jr. It's being dubbed the clash
of the Dunes. It'll be held at the UNESCO heritage site of Diriyah. Fittingly known as the land of kings and heroes.
The biggest battle of all, well, some people would say Brexit at present. As U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson gets set to speak at the end of a
bruising week for him and his Brexit vision. Will do more on that as we await a speech from the man himself. Up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, it is a blustery day in Yorkshire, in the north of England. And it is there that we are watching and waiting for Prime
Minister Boris Johnson to speak. This is a leave supporting town of Wakefield in Yorkshire. Backed Brexit by a huge majority back in 2016. It
has a Labour Party MP and is in the Conservative Party's sights should there be a general election -- should there be a general election. There's
a big should in there, isn't it.
As ever we're covering from Brexit from all angles. In a moment will hear from Bianca who is outside Parliament in London. First, Hadas Gold is in
Wakefield and has more from where the Prime Minister is about to speak as I understand it. What can we expect to hear from him -- Hadas?
[11:35:00]
GOLD: Well, Becky, this speech at this police training academy is ostensibly about hiring tens of thousands of new police officers. But
there will be times for Q&A after a short address from journalists. But some of the questions we expect to pose to him are of course about his
recent comments about Jeremy Corbyn. His brother who just resigned as a result of all of this drama. It's incredible to see the Prime Minister's
own brother resign. But we're also going to hear some questions I expect, and some of the questions that but I want to pose to the Prime Minister,
what his plans are.
He's talked about how they're getting a great deal with the EU. But the question is, what proposals have they actually put forward. Because as far
as we can tell from the European Union, there haven't been necessarily been any new proposals from the U.K. So all of this talk about some grand new
Brexit deal they're going to get, what have they actually put forward to their negotiating partners.
Also there's a question about he's deselecting of more than 20 Conservative MPs. When you think about it, some other people who are currently in
cabinet -- I'm thinking for example of Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the House of Commons. They rebelled against their own party, dozens and dozens
of times in the past. Some of these MPs who voted against the government this past time, this is the first time voting against the government. Some
have been MPs for decades. So why now? Why did they deselect these people.
I expect that this Q&A with reporters is going to get rather punchy, and I do expect we're going to hear Boris Johnson try to paint a picture of his
government and his leadership against Jeremy Corbyn. Potentially even worse than a no-deal Brexit situation.
It would be interesting especially for this area, Wakefield, as you noted, it's a big Labour seat. They voted heavily in favor of Brexit. Boris
Johnson likely needs a place like Wakefield. A place that voted in favor of Brexit to try and vote Conservatives, try to vote his party in. But if
he were to flick this district from Labour, it would be the first time that the constituency didn't have a Labour MP since the 1930s -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Hadas is in Wakefield. Bianca is in London. Bianca, this is a new British Prime Minister who has in the past few days suffered a hat
trick of defeats, some might say three strikes and you're out but he still their course. And there are many questions now about whether Boris Johnson
is making things up as he goes along. There are those that say don't be ridiculous, there is method in what is this seeming madness. Which is it?
NOBILO: Well first of all, you're right about the hat trick, he lost his majority. He then suffered monumental parliamentary defeats. And then
couldn't even call the election that he wanted. He needs to be a little bit careful. He could end up making Theresa May's parliamentary record
look like a qualified success.
As to whether or not there is a grand strategy behind this, it seems to begin with, yes, there was. And that's because Boris Johnson from the get
go in this last Conservative leadership contest positioned himself as an election winner. Even those members of Parliament I spoke to who were
reticent about supporting Boris Johnson because they didn't agree politically, or perhaps they felt they couldn't wholly trust him. Did
trust the fact that he had some that electoral magic dust -- some of them called it. He's very good when he's pounding the pavement. When he's out
in campaign mode.
So from the very beginning, Boris Johnson had his eye on an election, and being able to win one in the short term. But whether or not he is going to
get the election at the time that he needs it, to be advantageous to him. To get himself a fresh mandate for Brexit is the question of the day. And
it looks likely the Labour Party will be able to have the greatest amount of sway over when that election is going to take place -- Becky.
ANDERSON: As if Brits need another twist to the drama. Boris Johnson's brother of course resigning today to, quote, spend less time with his
family. That being his older brother. Thank you to you both.
Some people would tell you that the long running back and forth over if, when and how Britain will leave the European Union has been one long bore.
It has been anything but boring. Hala Gorani has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNSON: I will get a deal.
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A heated debate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Prime Minister is acting more like a dictator than democrat.
GORANI: A whirlwind drama as British MPs wrestle to rule out a no-deal Brexit. Moments operatic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would sooner boil my head to hand power to the leader of the opposition.
GORANI: Too outlandish pepper one of the most consequential debates in parliamentary history, from the Prime Minister's creative name calling.
[11:40:00]
JOHNSON: There's only one chlorinated chicken that I can see in this House and he's on that bench.
GORANI: And expletive dropping.
JOHNSON: Their economic policy is -- and I quote Mr. Speaker leave [BLEEP] or bust. I say it's both.
GORANI: To insults that are hard to interpret.
JOHNSON: Call the election, you great big girl's blouse.
GORANI: The Speaker's attempts to regulate were usually futile.
SPEAKER: Order. Pretty rude for members. Order.
GORANI: Even when using his most schoolmarm air.
SPEAKER: Behave yourself. Be a good boy young man. Be a good boy.
GORANI: Amid yelling and angst, one MP was perhaps a bit too calm, however.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So the leader of the house has been spread across around three seats, lying out as if that were something very boring for him
to listen to tonight.
GORANI: Jacob Rees-Mogg was unfazed by criticism of his meditative pose in Parliament, which inspired a flurry of tweets parodying his now notorious
horizontal slouch. And another Twitter flurry erupted after a stinging defection
Whether Tory MP Phillip Lee, dramatically crossed the floor to sit with the Liberal Democrats.
As the debate unfolds, MPs prepare, one tweeting a picture of himself arriving for an overnight stay, ready for a long drama filled evening to
come.
SPEAKER: Order. Order.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: There's a lot going on. Let's take a quick breather shall we.
A right little royal moment after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. We are standing by, waiting to hear from my colleague Paula Newton who has been in the devastated Abaco Islands in the
Bahamas. I'm going to get you that report and get you her live for you just as soon as we are able to get to her.
Right now, emergency crews carrying out rescue operations across the hardest-hit areas. The U.S. coast guard says at least 135 people have been
rescued since Dorian struck. Even though the weather has improved, the conditions remain treacherous. The Bahamas Prime Minister has called, the
devastation that you are looking at here on your screens, generational. The number of people who have lost their lives has gone up to at least 20,
and that is expected to rise further. We're going to take a short break. Back after this.
[11:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
[12:00:00]
END
