20/05/2012 Sunday Politics South East

And in the South East: All aboard the Boris Express - hHow London's

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1799 seconds

Mayor has ambitions to control some I'm Natalie Graham and this is the

Sunday Politics in the South East. Coming up in the next 20 minutes:

Is purple the new blue? We ask if the rising share of UKIP votes in

May's local elections will loosen the Tory's grip on the region.

Joining me in the studio today is Deputy Conservative Party Chairman

and MP for Sevenoaks Michael Fallon and UKIP's leader and the South

East MEP Nigel Farage. First, we heard this week that Maidstone will

be one of ten places in the country to be given a share of a million

pound fund to target alcohol abuse. It's a problem that costs the

country up to �13 billion a year. Michael Fallon, is �1 million among

10 areas just a drop in the ocean? Is not be a key demand but

Maidstone bid for this money. -- it is not a huge amount. It is a big

problem nationally, of course. It affects our hospitals, there is at

huge cost to it and we need to do lots of other things as well.

are a lot of other areas in the south-east, Nigel Farage, where

alcohol is not just the problem. is a huge amount of money but it

changes nothing at all. The younger generation go out with the express

intention of getting drunk. That is why they go out, on a Friday and

Saturday night. Until we can turn that around, then frankly, I think

the problem is going to go on. do we do that? Be is a cultural

thing, Nigel is right about that. We have a binge drinking culture in

this country that doesn't seem to apply in other countries in Europe.

But we do need to look at the price at which alcohol is sold. It is

cheaper than water in some supermarkets. We need to look good

beer taxes -- a look at. We're all familiar with Boris Johnson's plans

for an airport in Kent, but now it seems he has his eye on another

mode of transport in the county. In his manifesto, the London Mayor

said he was going to lobby the Department of Transport to take

control of rail routes from the capital to Dartford and Sevenoaks

when the Southeastern franchise comes up in 2014. But will these

proposals benefit commuters, or is it a case of imperium condens?

That's empire building if you're not a classicist. Helen Drew

reports. The Mayor of London could be forgiven for being more familiar

with Seven Sisters tube then Sevenoaks station. But Boris

Johnson wants control over suburban railways can and that includes

trains into London from Sevenoaks and Dartford. And surprisingly, his

idea has been met with local opposition, including from within

his own party. Why difficulty with these proposals is that nothing at

all will benefit local people. The proposals from bent -- from

Transport London say nothing about price increases are, and the fact

there will be additional stops along the route from Dartford which

will slop the service. -- slow up. The Mayor of London should be just

that, the Mayor of London and not the mayor of North Kent.

Department of Transport chooses he gets the railway contracts and its

did light criteria -- it stipulates criteria. For a number of London-

bound commuter services, Boris Johnson wants to take control. This

would mean splitting the South Eastern franchise. Boris Johnson is

interested in having control over the part that goes from Sevenoaks

and Dartford. They have told us they will consider making a bid

regardless of who is control. The London overground already runs many

of the capital's services. It is a system that Boris Johnson played in

his recent manifesto. But he went being control of trains to the rest

of Kent and some fear the changes will cause confusion. The present

system is very simple. You buy a return ticket from Sevenoaks to

London. The danger is that we face having to all three different train

operators providing a services -- two or three. It is chaos for those

of us who live outside the GLA area. There is a real risk that we could

end up as the country cousins who get whatever is left over after the

Inner London commuters who vote for Boris Johnson have had their share.

Boris says there will be longer and more frequent trains and it will

potentially hold down fares. shouldn't extend his powers, I

don't think, outside Greater London. This is not Greater London, thank

God. I think it is bad because we are not part of the London area and

we shouldn't be treated like it. Boris Johnson is riding high on his

recent re-election as mayor of London, and there's a fair chance

he could get control of the suburban trains. In nearby it

Medway, they're afraid it he might succeed and expand his plans.

would seem almost a logical step. We are all very concerned about the

London then creep, that London will creep into the suburban counties.

The Department of Transport is asking local authorities if they're

interested in controlling their local rail services, which could

mean that can count council has power over the franchises. The

government has told us that all options will be looked at -- Kent

County Council. The Thames estuary airport idea started with Boris

Johnson and is now being looked at in detail by the government. So it

will signal West transport commuters if this plan goes full

steam ahead? Helen Drew reporting. From our Westminster studio, we

have Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat Chair of the London

Assembly's Transport Committee. It sounds as though they may be

considerable benefits for Kent commuters if you do cake -- take

control of the franchise? Are don't think it would have any impact on

the south-east. It is a cross party idea, not just the Mayor of London.

It will be huge benefit to London passengers and Kent passengers if

we could run a model such as the London overground on some of those

South Clifton routes. -- South Eastern. But there are lots of

other parts of the South Eastern network who need much faster and

frequent trains. There is a real opportunity with South Eastern

franchise coming up and Thameslink to look at how we can package them

together. We think the majority of trains into London should be run by

the Mayor of London. We could see a saving of around �290 million which

could be reinvested in the transport network. But the real

benefit to passengers is more reliable trains. And that's great,

that's fantastic for anyone who commutes in from the outlying

stations, it is the rest of the rail network. Why should you care

what happens to the rest of the rail network and the south-east who

doesn't stand to benefit? I think all passengers will benefit. We

have seen huge satisfaction with London over ground where we have

seen transport London running that service. It has got higher

satisfaction and performance than any other train operator and the

country. We want to read -- replicate that. At the moment,

trains on the London Underground got to Watford and Uxbridge.

would almost make more sense be to take control of the hall of the

south-east network? We have already heard about some of your passenger

groups being concerned, there is no point in taking control of the

faster trains into London, but the suburban ones, there is a real

answer for actually having London takeover those routes and wonder

more efficiently. On the principle of democracy, is it right that the

mayor of London has power over people who want part of his

electorate? Many of them travelling to London every day so they

automatically use services within London. But there is already a

President. The London Underground goes outside the London boundary.

You have to have consultative groups and engage passenger groups

to make sure their voices are heard. This is not about trying to exclude

Kent, quite the opposite. It's about running a far more efficient

service all passengers. We heard from a lot of your constituents

there, Michael Fallon. What you make of this? Well, it's the

proposal. I have met transport London to discuss it. There two

issues. First, it is hard to add additional services. The lines are

at full capacity at the moment and I'm worried that fast trains would

be able to get through if the mayor start adding additional suburban

services. It is very important that commuters are able to get into the

London terminals. The platform capacity is the real issue. And the

second problem is the first. It can't be right that the mayor would

be able to increase fares when my constituents can't wait for it. --

the second problem is the fares. Here is the Tory mayor looking to

exceed his powerful -- his powerful stop it has the potential to make

people angry. -- looking to exceed his power. Why are we spending �32

billion on HS2? Let put that point about capacity back to this lady.

We are at full capacity. There is some fine-tuning that can be done

by looking at the existing network, but we have got massive investment

going into stations such as London Bridge which will help us to

increase capacity and benefit all passengers. Nigel here has always

been one of our more ebullient politicians, but he's had an extra

spring in his step for the past two weeks since his party caused a

minor upset in the local elections. In Tunbridge Wells the Conservative

leader lost his seat to the UKIP candidate, and the party's overall

share of the vote in the council was 14%, up from 5% in 2008. Some

political commentators say that if this pattern is repeated during the

next general election, it could undermine the Conservatives enough

to provide Labour with a way back into the South East. Michael Fallon,

how worried are you? Of course we pay attention to the local

elections. Labour didn't do particularly well, Nigel won his

single-seat, I think it was, so of course we pay attention to that. It

has become, the you Kipp vote, a bit of a protest vote, and all

credit to them -- the UKIP vote. We have already put in place for a

referendum stopping any more powers being transferred to Europe. We are

trying to encourage the other countries in Europe to sort out the

big problems in the eurozone, which you can't just opt out of. Half our

trade is with Europe. Millions of jobs depend on it. We can't just

say we will wonder rough on Morrow and cover applies. We have to help

Europe resolve these problems -- we will wander off and cover our

highways. Justified % swing in Nigel's favour come at a general

election, you know that Labour will be the ones that again. We have got

to explain what we have done to stop more buyers drifting off to

Brussels and how we are involved in helping to sort out the eurozone's

problems and the mandatory that we do with Europe. We have to get that

over. -- the amount of trade. a-million people in London work in

financial services. Since your government came to power, you have

given away a total regulatory control. So don't tell me... For 13

years, we had the Tory party in opposition. And here in the south-

east, a big Tory stronghold, people used to say they would agree with

me. But they had to vote Tory because they wanted to get Labour

out. And once David is in, we will see what his like. Well, now they

see it... The trouble is, you won't get much further. It is Labour that

will profit from your success. Everybody has told me, you're

wasting your time. Into the other nine, we came second across the

hall of the United Kingdom in the elections. -- across all of the

United Kingdom. We will carry on going as a political party because

we stand up and say what most people believe in. The interesting

thing is that Nigel has taken 1.4 million Conservative voters than

you over the past two years since you have been in government with

the Liberal Democrats. I hope they will see that if we get a clear

majority, the election will be able to do a lot of the things we wanted

to do in our manifesto. We are having to sort out the enormous

deficit and the banking problems that we inherited. You know the

people on the right to be a party of frustrated because Europe

coalition and a more likely to fall into Nigel's lap. In the end, or

when it comes to the real world, in the end, they then to see the you

have to have a Conservative government with a clear majority if

you're going to stand up to Europe. There's no point in having one

single party leader. You can't stand up to it. Your Prime Minister

promised us a referendum on a relationship with Europe. He has

broken that promise. People don't trust him and they see him as a

social democrat. I think there is a breach of trust. People don't trust

the big parties any more in this country and they look at UKIP which

is campaigning on a broad-based manifesto that is increasingly

appealing to people. We believe in giving people opportunity. Anybody

from Poland could walk in here tomorrow and you have encouraged

that unsupported it. -- and supported it. Let's have grammar

schools in Surrey, no? You have abandoned that. I would love to see

one in Sevenoaks, we have not abandoned that. In the end, we have

to deal with the real world. Europe as a dangerous place at the moment

and we have to see how best to protect our British national

interest. Thank you very much for now. It's time for a round-up of

the week's events with a political There was a double blow for the

Green Party this week with the announcement that the party's

leader, Caroline Lucas, is to step down after four years but will

remain as the Brighton Pavilion MP. Is time for other people to come

forward. And Brighton and Hove's Green led cancel charges the

highest care costs in the country, compared to freak -- 3 care in

other areas. -- free. Thank you, Mr Speaker. And this politician got

the giggles after a mishap by AMP Charles Henry. I inadvertently sat

He dealt with that very well. I don't think I have ever sat on

anyone's lap by accident in parliament! You have to be very

careful with your other minister answering when you sit back again.

You have to be very careful you don't sit on someone. Let's talk

about Caroline Lucas. Another small party that had success at -- in the

European elections. Why do you think she has done it? Running a

small party is a big commitment. It is a seven-day-a-week job. You are

involved in all the fundraising. They had not been having an easy

time, particularly in the recession. I think she's probably recognised

that with a couple of years to go, she's got some problems holding

back her can stitch and see -- constituency. She does have a big

workload, looking after the party. I think her council has become

rather unpopular and there are some issues there. She will have a tough