Wednesday, 22 June, 2005

The ties say it all...

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Wednesday's programme, presented by Jeremy Paxman, covers the following stories:

Tax credits

An apology from Tony Blair after two independent reports highlight fundamental flaws in the government's tax credits scheme, which has left thousands of families in debt. It's a blow for Gordon Brown's much-vaunted ambition to target the tax system to benefit the poorest in society. We'll assess the impact of this chaos on the Brownite vision and talk to Mr Brown's former special adviser, Ed Miliband.

CAP

Aid agencies are blaming the Common Agricultural Policy for ruining the sugar industries of developing countries for the benefit of wealthy producers in Europe. Today, for the first time since the plan was launched in 1968, the European Commission came up with a proposal to reduce prices by a whopping 40%. We'll find out what this means for the British sugar industry and producers in the developing world.

Asylum

We are on the trail of a story about refugees from Darfur, and what happens to them if they fail to gain asylum in Britain. No one needs reminding about the horrors of the killings in that region of Sudan. But, surprisingly perhaps, the British Government sees no reason not to send them back to Sudan. We will tell the story of one refugee who was forced to return, and faced brutal treatment.

Bad behaviour

Life in the wild West End of London. Ian Wilder is a local councillor who once saw a man beaten to death on the streets of central London. Appalled by such violence, he's embarked on a crusade. Every weekend he is out on the streets filming violent and anti-social behaviour. Tonight, he shares his footage with Newsnight.

Tie die?

Jeremy has spent the day in Jermyn Street, investigating the death of the necktie. The outgoing Cabinet Secretary Sir Andrew Turnbull has shocked Whitehall by suggesting Civil Servants should no longer have to wear them. Jeremy has been talking to the finest tailors in the country, as well as the leading light of the cravat-erati - Jon Snow.

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