Today - 21/09/2009

Presented by Evan Davis and Sarah Montague. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says universities should escape the public spending squeeze by charging students higher tuition fees and giving them less financial support. Wes Streeting, president of the National Union of Students (NUS), explains how this will affect students. The Liberal Democrats' leader Nick Clegg faces a revolt from his party over public spending. Political correspondent Ross Hawkins reports from the Liberal Democrats' party conference in Bournemouth on the party's reaction to their leader's policy. Violence has flared in County Armagh, after three men were sentenced over a dissident republican plot to kill police officers. It comes as police in Northern Ireland crack down on dissident republican activity ahead of the arrival of the new chief constable tomorrow. Correspondent Natasha Sayee reports on the latest violence. Correspondent Peter Bowes reports on the winners and losers at the Emmy awards ceremony. The French government has said it will close an asylum seeker camp in Calais, where migrants gather to try to reach the UK. Reporter Andrew Hosken reports from the camp known as 'The Jungle'. The Washington Post has obtained details of the long-awaited assessment of the war in Afghanistan by the US and NATO commander, General Stanley McCrystal. Correspondent Allan Little reports from Kabul on General McCrystal's report. Thought for the Day with Rev Dr David Wilkinson, Principal of St John's College, Durham. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, is proposing that anyone with a house worth more than a million pounds should pay an annual levy. The money would be used to raise the income tax threshold to 10,000 pounds. Clegg explains the proposals, which have come under some criticism from within his party. Political editor Nick Robinson reports on the Liberal Democrats' proposals for public spending, and the divisions over the policy within the party. A new CBI reports suggests that students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland should pay more in tuition fees, and that there should be fewer grants and higher rates of interest on loans. John Cridland, deputy director of the CBI, and Les Ebdon, the vice chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire and chairman of Million+, which represents the new universities and polytechnics, discuss the impact of raising students' costs to offset cuts in public spending. Violence has erupted over the weekend in County Armagh after three men were sentenced over a dissident republican plot to kill police officers. Richard English, Professor of Politics at Queen's University, discusses the latest increase in violence in Northern Ireland. A new exhibition at the Tate Britain gallery explores a fascinating aspect of artist William Turner's life and work. Whenever Turner came across an artist he considered them a competitor, whether an Old Master or one of his contemporaries. He would make a work of the same genre to demonstrate that he was their equal. John Humphrys reports from the exhibition. On World Alzheimer's Day, new findings from King's College, London show that the number of people suffering from dementia is set to double to 65 million by 2030, and to double again by 2050. Dr Robert Stewart of King's College explains the new findings, and science correspondent Tom Feilden reports on the breakthrough, earlier this month, of three new genes identified by researchers in the UK and France. A debate is brewing at the Liberal Democrats' party conference over which direction the party should take. Baroness Shirley Williams discusses whether the ultimate aim should be a reunification of the liberal left. Renault are to appear before the Formula 1 governing body, the FIA, in Paris. They are charged with ordering former driver Nelson Piquet Jr to deliberately crash in Singapore last year to help team-mate Fernando Alonso win the race. Tim Harris, author of Players: 250 Men, Women and Animals Who Created Modern Sport, and Ed Smith, a former England cricketer and author of What Sport Tells Us About Life, discuss who has most influenced modern sport - the cheats, administrators or those who excel in their sport. The roof over Shakespeare's grave is in danger of collapse, but the Stratford church which houses iy does not have the 50,000 pounds necessary to fix the rotten beam. Meanwhile the Royal Shakespeare Company is spending 100 million pounds on rebuilding a theatre 500 yards away. Correspondent Nick Higham reports from the church. As a general election approaches, how should the Liberal Democrats position themselves in the political debate? Columnists Matthew Parris and Steve Richards discuss the latest shifts in policy from the Liberal Democrats' party conference in Bournemouth.