02/03/2014 Sunday Politics South

Morning folks. Welcome to the Sunday Politics.

Fears that Politics.

invasion escalate this morning as Russian forces take control of

invasion escalate this morning as Crimea. President Obama and his

invasion escalate this morning as taking no notice. This is now

turning into the worst stand-off between Russia and the West since

the conflict between Georgia and Russia in 2008, though nobody

expects any kind of military response from the West. Foreign

Secretary William Hague is on his way to Kiev this morning to show his

support for the new government, though how long it will survive is

another matter. We can speak to our correspondent David Stern, he's in

Kiev. As things look from Kiev, can we

take it they've lost Crimea, it is now in all essence under

take it they've lost Crimea, it is control? Yes, well for the moment,

take it they've lost Crimea, it is Ukrainians. They seem to be taking

more of a long-term gain. They are waiting for the figs's first move.

They are trying not to create any excuse that the Russians can stage

an even larger incursion into Crimea or elsewhere, for that matter. They

also seem to be trying to get international support. It should be

said, this is a new Government. It has only been installed this week.

They are trying to gain their footing. This is a major crisis

They have to count on the loyalty of the army they might have some

resistance from solders from the eastern part of the country

resistance from solders from the Russian speaking. They probably

could count Russian speaking. They probably

on historical feelings of Russia being an imperial force.

Joining me is MP Mark Field who sits on the security Security and

Intelligence Committee in the House of Commons. What should the western

response be to these events? I can understand why William Hague is

going to Kiev tomorrow to stand side by side whizz whoever's in charge.

They need to CEOP sit numbers and also President Putin. The truth is

we are all co significant fatries to also President Putin. The truth is

years ago may not be but the Kremlin's not

watching how we voted on the Syrian issue? In relation to Syria, it was

where is the western resolve here. The truth ask Putin's position is

considerably less strong. In diplomatic terms. He had a victory

in Syria in relation to chemical weapons and in relation to the

West's relationship with Iran. Putin is a vital inter locking figure

West's relationship with Iran. Putin demographic and economic terms,

Russia's in very deep trouble. The demographic and economic terms,

oil price started to fall to any degree,

oil price started to fall to any importance of mineral wealth and

exports for importance of mineral wealth and

whole appetite for the reforms politically and economically will be

closed very much within a matter of a short period of time. It has

longer term implications. Mark Field, thank you.

We're joined now by BBC News night's Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban. Is

there any prospect of a western military response? Clearly at the

moment, it is nil. The boat has sailed with the Crimean. It has been

per performed by Russian forces It is now

per performed by Russian forces It demonstrations, many extremists he

was unable to deal with that. Now we have the other side, if you like,

the Russian speakers, the other side of the fight, Russian nationalists

showing they can get away with unilateral action more or less with

impunity. The Ukrainian chiefs have been sacked. I think there are

considerable questions now as to whether Ukraine is falling apart

and, if that happens, we're into a Yugoslav-type situation which will

continue posing very serious questions for the EU and NATO

continue posing very serious months or years to come.

continue posing very serious entire Ukraine to come into the

Russian ambit. Barack Obama is saying this will not stand. He has a

90 minute conversation with Vladimir Putin and what is his response? I am

suspending my cooperation in the run-up to the Sochi Summit. What is

the EU doing? Nothing. There is nothing they can do and Putin knows

there are a series of lines that he is able to cross and get away with

it. Why should Berlin, London, Washington be surprised by the

strength of Vladimir Putin's reaction? It was never going to let

Ukraine just fall into the arms of the EU. That is the interesting

point. And the EU. That is the interesting

control their own budgets, ushering in free schools, focusing on

toughening exams and making them the core of the curriculum with less

coursework, and offering heads more discretion on tougher discipline.

And he is in a hurry to put all this in place. But has that shut out any

chance for a Labour Government to change it all themselves and do they

really want to? Any questions? Visiting a different school, first

in line to get a crack at that Visiting a different school, first

would-be Labour's third shadow education secretary since 2010,

Tristram Hunt. In post, he has not been taken about fine tuning

previous direct opposition been taken about fine tuning

schools and he has also suggested teachers in England would have to

schools and he has also suggested licensed under a Labour Government,

schools and he has also suggested look at a serious review of

accountability measures. That is really what ways on teachers every

single day. Actually they would look at restoring the possibility, for

example, of local councillors to be able to open schools. That seems

eminently sensible. If they are not going to move back from the free

schools and academies programme at the very least they need to say that

academy chains will be inspected because at the moment they are not.

Labour have balls in the air on education and are still throwing

around precise policy detail. There education and are still throwing

are areas that they could grab hold of and

are areas that they could grab hold the rounding of the people,

developing the rounding of the people,

vocational education, making sure that the forgotten 15% is properly

addressed in our education system. What we saw in your package was an

interesting description of how we have seen structural reforms in the

names of schools. Academies, free schools, all the rest of it.

International evidence is clear that it is the quality of leadership of

the headteachers and the it is the quality of leadership of

teaching in the classroom that transforms the prospects of young

people. Instead of tinkering around the names of schools, we focus on

teacher quality. Viewers will be shocked to note that this Government

approves of unqualified teachers in the classroom.

approves of unqualified teachers in free schools, I think, would only be

allowed where there is a shortage of places. That means that where there

is an excess of bad schools, parents will have no choice. They still have

to send their kids to bad schools. And we have to transform bad schools

and that was always the Labour way in Government. At the moment we just

have an insertion of new schools. Schools currently underperforming

are now underperforming even more. Children only have

are now underperforming even more. education. What about their time in

school? Our focus is on the leadership of the headteacher and

having quality teachers in the classroom. So they cannot set up new

better schools and they have to go to the bad schools. Tony Blair said

it should to the bad schools. Tony Blair said

set up new schools where they are dissatisfied with existing schools.

You are not saying that. dissatisfied with existing schools.

the solution to that? Making sure we share excellence among the existing

schools and making sure we have quality leadership in schools. Those

schools in Stoke-on-Trent are all academies. It is not a question only

of structure but of leadership. It is also a question of going back to

the responsibility of parents to make sure their kids are school

ready when they get to school. To make sure they are reading to their

children in the evening. We can t make sure they are reading to their

industry, the but also to get an apprenticeship at Jaguar Land

Rover, JCB, Rolls-Royce. That is why Ed Miliband's focus on the forgotten

15%, which we have just not seen from this Government, focusing on

technical and vocational pathways, is fundamental to Your headmaster

was guiles Slaughter. Was he a good teacher?

This is the top Sundaytimes school of the year. The school in derby

where this Government allowed unqualified teaching assist taints.

We had teachers who could barely speak English. That is because if

you have unqualified teachers you end up with a dangerous situation.

The problem with that school was not unqualified teachers. People were

running that school who were unfit to run a school. We have an issue

about discipline to run a school. We have an issue

management in some of our schools. Some of

management in some of our schools. don't want to do this, will you fire

them? It is not an unreasonable suggestion is that the teachers in

charge of our young people have qualifications to teach and inspire

our young people particularly when we face global competition from

Shanghai, Korea and so on. The head teacher of Brighton college finds

incredibly inspeechational teachers who don't' necessarily have a

teaching qualifications. It is a different skill to teach ten young

nice boys and girls in Brighton to teaches 20 or 30 quids with

challenging circumstances, teaches 20 or 30 quids with

ability. Being a teacher dining areas that are needed to feed

so many extra youngsters. More on that shortly. First, let's meet the

two politicians who'll be with me for the next 20 minutes. Annette

Brooke is the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, and

Penny Mordaunt is the Conservative MP for Portsmouth North. Let me ask

you about Mike Hancock. Do you agree with Nick Clegg's decision to

suspend him? I think Nick Clegg did the right thing when he had a

situation put before him and it is important that everything takes its

course and we don't make judgements in advance.

seat, maybe not hold onto a Cabinet post. In Mike Hancock's case, he has

also been ill, so I would have thought most people would have stood

down, not been in the limelight, let it be worked out, have the proper

investigation and court case and then concludes, and when people have

had a rest, come back into a front`line role if they are all

cleared. It is a bit odd that he has been so keen to still be there and

it is peculiar there is no candidate standing against him. What do you

think about Michael Fallon no point voting when they're being

ignored by local politicians. It has already been decided. The

government is not talking great things about us. Sometimes, people

feel we are leftovers of the community and no one is looking

after us, so we are here on a temporary vacation. But that's not

true. People have lived in for nine years with a family.

Now a group's been launched to try and encourage more of the estimated

two million EU migrants to register and vote. Roger Casale is the chair

of New Europeans and joins me now. How many people are we talking

about? democracy. Democracy works better if

all of those entitled to vote do so, and I appeal to the parties to do

more to engage European citizens in this country, to understand their

concerns and listen to them because there is a large number of votes up

for grabs, not just for the European elections, but for local elections.

3% of the electorate in the UK is made up of them. It does show how

things are changing when you have so many people who have taken advantage

of the free movement within has helped all political parties

have a greater reach. Liberal Democrats seem to be moving towards

this European election saying they are the party of in. We definitely

want to get people out to vote who do believe we should stay in. That

is a majority. I am concerned about the generally low turnout in

European elections. We are lucky if we get 34%. It's very low. We are

heading into an election. We are leaving an open goal for

to vote more. Feeling they have a stake in the community is something

that will encourage them to vote. They do have a big stake in this

community in Southampton. If we can get it right with this group, if we

can find a way to communicate with the EU citizens who feel more remote

with our democracy, we can get participation wider.

A free school lunch for every primary school pupil. It sounds like

a great idea that nobody could have reservations about. But as our

Dorset political reporter, Tristan Pascoe, has been finding out, there

are a few snags in the funding. Maybe there really is no such thing

as a free lunch. ticking. We are looking at less than

two terms. We are in favour but we need to get on with it. The

school's local authority in Bournemouth supports the idea but

the council says it is still awaiting further information as to

how it will all be funded. It says it is working out the capacity of

its schools to prepare and serve thousands of extra meals. In Paul,

the borough council says it is preparing for the impact of the

scheme being rolled out as best it can. One of the things is the

arrangements over mealtimes for children because we don't have the

capacity to set them all at the same time. It

additional morale `` additional equipment in staff. Those tables

cost ?2000 a pop! This seat six. Is there any regret this promise was

made? This is a policy which takes so many boxes colon health, `` boxes

colon health. All of those things are incredibly important. It is

really important that pilot studies have shown the benefits

But I would say, let's look at the procurement of this. Those tables,

dishwashers, let's have a sensible approach to buying in kit for

schools. Things can always be done better. We have got a few months and

everyone is settled on the fact this is a good idea. We have got to make

happen. Asked as local MPs and councillors are there to facilitate

that. If people aren't getting the money, we will get Michael Gove and

a pincer movement! The pilots show In gender balanced terms, should we

be doing this as well? It is true. It's really important you have role

models. Pupils need to relate to family. Recycled clothes, I can

think of some clothes of yours that might end up getting recycled! I am

thinking of a swimsuit? I can't watch this! Did it take a while to

get over that? Was it painful? Emotionally,

Aspiration's always been our core value. About helping people get on

with life. Giving people ladders of opportunity. That's why our symbol

must reflect our opportunity. That's why our symbol

aspiration and why I'm calling for our symbol to be changed from a tree

to a ladder which symbolises social mobility and stands up for

everything conservatism represents. I like an he will fanned, an animal

that never forgets. We're the only party

that never forgets. We're the only life was like before the NHS and

that never forgets. We're the only went to privilege rather than earned

income. Rebranding is not enough. The one question the modernisers

never asked themselves when they took party ten years ago is the

thing we know as the Conservative Party, salvageable as a brand? I'm

beginning to think it isn't. If you look at all public opinion research,

there are lots of people in this contrary with Conservative views.

They won't vote Tory or contemplate the possibility of voting Tory. Can

we get over the electoral problems by relaunching as a different

we get over the electoral problems pro-business, pro-worker party.

we get over the electoral problems Manchester. They have this terrible

problem. You're right for them to pick up on the five Etonians writing

their manifesto. David Cameron sir rounding himself with his own. He

doesn't have to do that. I seas things like isn't Robert Halpen

great. He decides and has his own. He has some more slightly common

people from St Paul's! One of the ways the Conservatives

people from St Paul's! One of the broaden their appeal is the tougher

line on immigration. broaden their appeal is the tougher

about it. Immigration, even if they were meeting the target, I don't

think the public would believe it. It is like crime a few years ago,

the crime rates had been declining for the best part of 20 years but

the fear of crime remains high. There's such a degree of cynicism

that regardless of your administrative record in Government,

the public will remain hostile to you. This is where Nigel Farage can

be potent. He said it is not about numbers. It is about

be potent. He said it is not about is about people seeing

come in until their economies grow. That's future accession states.

That's Turkey in ten years' time It is causing divisions with the

coalition. She's bashing Vince Cable. You often see Liberal

Democrats bashing the Tories. You don't often see a Tory minister bash

Vince Cable. She does on the immigration figures. He thought they

were good news. Last week, Vince responded to the news by saying it

was a policy he was happy for the gift to flunk. The problem was going

for a cap. There are six moving parts. UK citizens leaving,

for a cap. There are six moving back. EU citizens leaving and coming

whether this has worked. It has been described as an historic moment and

incremental of what John did. The trade union block voters disappeared

a long time ago. They still have 50% of the vote. But 2,000 of union

members voting for this guy has gone. It is a reform from 20 years

ago. Welcome but not historic. Ed Miliband's stored up trouble. Len

McCluskey wants a million new homes