03/02/2014 Look East - East

Say And Veteran MP Tim Yeo is shown the door by his own party. After 30

years as the MP, local Conservatives in Suffolk vote to replace him. If

you or appointed to the House of to represent us, do that job above

everything else, otherwise, why do you go into the house?

Hello and welcome to Look East with Susie and me.

After that de`selection vote in South Suffolk, we get live reaction

from the constituency which accused its MP of being "virtually

invisible". Also tonight: No end in sight to the soggy weather in Essex.

Today, the experts said we will have to get used to scenes like this. We

have had four incidents where motorists have driven into

floodwater and our crews have had to carry out rescues.

And how to make your debut for England ` Saints star Luther Burrell

gets off to a spectacular start in the Six

Hello. East Anglia's longest serving MP Tim Yeo has lost his battle to

regain his seat at the next election. The Conservative MP for

South Suffolk was de`selected as a candidate after a vote among local

party members. Mr Yeo was at Conservative

party headquarters in London when he learned his status before 330 this

afternoon. Nearly 500 local Conservatives had taken part in the

vote. He was first elected in 1983 and has held the seat at six general

elections. But many people believe he spent too much time away from

South Suffolk dealing with other interests. Some say he had become

"virtually invisible." Today Mr Yeo said, "it had been a privilege to

serve as the MP for South Suffolk". In a moment, Kevin Burch with

reaction from the heart of the constituency. But first, our

political correspondent Andrew Sinclair at Westminster.

Until last week, just for Conservative MPs had ever been

deselected by their parties. Then on Friday, association members in

Thirsk got rid of and Macintosh. Today, Tim Yeo became the sixth MP

to be dropped by his local as is using. They wanted a change. He did

not want to go. He said he wanted the membership to judge him on his

record. Well, they did. This is not how Mr Yeo or even many of his

detractors wanted to see his career end. After 30 years as an MP, after

winning the same seat on seven occasions, Mr Yeo has spent the last

hour trying to put a brave face on his defeat. It was a knife edge

result, but I respect the outcome, and of course, I would give my full

support to my successor, whoever that is. But after 30 years as an

MP, surely it should not end this way. Well, if you take part in

democracies, you don't know how elections will tailor. Sometimes you

win and sometimes you'll use. At lunchtime today, he snuck into the

back of Conservative Party headquarters, avoiding the media. He

watched as the 500 votes were verified and then counted. Three and

a half hours later, the news was delivered via e`mail. South Suffolk

had dropped to their MP. Mr Yeo has spent the last month campaigning

hard to hold onto his job. He set up his website, on which dozens of MPs

and friends pledged support. He said he was proud of his voting record

and happy to be judged on it. I think there is overwhelming evidence

about the effective role I have played in Parliament and in South

Suffolk. Do you accept that you could have done more in your

constituency and been seen them or? I have had a home there for 31

years, I have let campaigns to keep health service operating, took place

in a joint campaign to stop the 814 being extended, its part in a

campaign against electricity pylons. Anyone interested in those

issues will know I done the best possible job. He told me he will do

their continue to work at Fritz constituency over the next 15

months. The urgent task of finding a new candidate now begins. So why did

they get rid of him? Ever since the expenses scandal, I think people's

expectations of MPs have changed. I was speaking to a member of the

local executive the other week who said we look at the neighbouring

constituencies and young MPs like Ben Gummer and Matthew Hancock who

are always in Parliament, always jumping up and down championing

local issues in the house, in the local media a lark, and on

constituency days, they always seem to have a full diary. We want a bit

of that. I think the tragedy of this whole thing, however, is the party

really wanted Tim Yeo to go quietly. There were a lot of discussions last

year saying, please retire gracefully ugly with your head held

high. He did not listen. Thank you very much. Today's outcome

brings the curtain down on a political career spanning 30 years.

Mr Yeo reached ministerial office, but had a bumpy ride along the way.

Mr Tim Yeo. Let's hear what they are saying

politician who is always courted controversy. An environment minister

under John Major, he was forced to resign in 1994 after it was revealed

he had had an affair and the child of the Conservative councillor.

Conservatives in South Suffolk have not been ripped to the national

spotlight. Despite the outcry, his constituency said by him. He was

seen as very much of the politician. Now he will have much more

opportunity to be constituency in peoples in opposition, he had

several studied cabinet roles, but in 2005, he suddenly stood down.

Over the years, he has become an expert on, particularly renewable

energy. Good morning, thank you for coming in. He became chair of the

influential energy select committee, and more controversially, developed

a number of outside business interest in the energy market. Are

you able to ask questions? I didn't want to tell them in advance what he

should say. The Sunday Times alleged he had offered his services to help

energy companies within Parliament. He was cleared of wrongdoing, but

boasting about his influence did not luck good while in his constituency,

there were regular complaints he had become an absent MP. I take very

seriously the need to reduce greenhouse gases. Friends of Mr Yeo

say that behind`the`scenes, he was very low and shall in fighting for

improvements in the Ambulance Service, campaigning against the 814

toll road and removing the head of Suffolk County Council. I am quite

happy to be judged on my record on what I have done in South Suffolk,

what I do in Westminster for Parliament under the Conservative

Party, and I'm quite confident that my record, if people see that, they

will reach the verdict I hope, which is that they will reselect me. Tim

Yeo says he is proud of what he has done, but as local parties seem to

feel it is time for a change. Let's see what they are seeing

tonight in his constituency. Kevin Burch is in Sudbury. Yes, I think it

is interesting as veteran MP was not beaten at the ballot box but by his

own backers. It was very telling this morning in the constituency,

even those close to him who supported him did not think this was

a battle he could win. Critics say this was not a sudden uprising, but

it had been going on for months. They had told him privately to do

more, to engage more. They felt he had not got the message. This man

was described as a force to be reckoned with here is a force no

more. For the past 30 years here, this area has been part of Tim Yeo

country. He has a house in the village, but he is also divided

opinion among locals, with critics saying he simply hasn't been visible

enough. If you are appointed to the House of Commons to represent us or

whoever, in that job above everything else. If a younger man

comes along, even Boris Johnson, just think that would be great. Alec

Gardner runs the local store and has been a very public supporter of the

MP. I am a similar age to Tim Yeo, and I don't think I've had it yet,

and a lot of the people on the committee are older than him and

they are making the decision. Perhaps it is them who stood down.

This patch takes in Somerset at's most beautiful countryside. There

are two main centres of population, Hadley and Sudbury. There are 70,000

people in this constituency. It was created to boundary changes, and in

1983, Tim Yeo was elected as its first MP. He has won every election

since. This has always been his constituency, and that explains why

this moment is so significant. For this business men, that moment take

ever closer. As deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in South

Suffolk, he wanted Tim Yeo out, and ten minutes before the official

announcement, he got the outcome of the vote by text message from

Westminster. He is out. There you go. Be selected by his local

association, who criticised him for being virtually invisible. That is

about it. Simon Barrett, the deputy chairman of the local party, looks

pretty happy there. Let's talk to him now. Are you happy you're

disappointed? Iron disappointed with the whole process, really. But you

are happy that you now have a chance to move forward? Yes, exactly. I

think we have a good opportunity to select a new candidate and move

forward in South Suffolk. How would you best describe the relationship

between your organisation and Mr Yeo? Professional. I don't think it

has been friendly for probably the last two or three years. What is the

worst thing he has done? What has upset you the most? Nothing that you

can really put your finger on. I think it is just his lack of

visibility. A lot of members felt that we needed a little more input,

and South Suffolk and suffered generally being a blue area, it

really hasn't had infrastructure investment, and I think we would

have liked to have seen that coming through. So the wind turbines and

Same Sex Marriage Bill bait is not why you have fallen out with him?

Well, Same Sex Marriage Bill not apply to me. My gay son is getting

married in December, so that is not really an issue. Some of your other

members of the local organisation do not like that. Well, they do not.

But equally, some people don't have an issue with it. I think,

fortunately, that was not an issue that should be brought up. Who would

you like to see... We saw Boris Johnson's name there. That will not

happen. Who would you like to see in his place? I think basically, we

want someone who is going to represent South Suffolk, get some

infrastructure measures in place. These things need a lot of lobbying

in Westminster, and I think we probably missed out a bit on that.

Do you believe now that Mr Yeo should have back down a lot sooner

and save the party a lot of this embarrassment? Yes, I think so. I

had lunch with Tim in September, and I said quite clearly to him that the

feeling was that it was time to go. Many people were saying that. Would

you like to pay tribute to the work he has done for your constituency?

Yes, I think absolutely. Anyone who puts in 30 years of their life into

an area, he has done a lot of good things. And a lot of people have

very good words for him. His constituency MP `` as a constituency

MP in the past, he has done good things for individuals. Thank you

for being with us. A councillor in Essex has been found

guilty of breaching conduct rules after sending a tweet which it was

claimed was racist. Danny Mayzes suggested scenes in a violent film

called Machete were the best way to deal with immigration issues. He

represents the Conservatives on Tendring District Council and has

now apologised to his colleagues in a letter.

Still to come: An amazing debut in the six Nations full Luther Burrell.

Plus, the remarkable sound of a pianist

with one hand. The Environment Agency has been

defending itself today over complaints about its handling of the

flooding crisis in Somerset. And closer to home, the Agency has

repeated its assertion that it cannot afford to defend all of the

areas prone to flooding. As you can see from this weather map, produced

by The Met Office, parts of Essex have been deluged in recent weeks,

and today many areas around the river Chelmer are still under flood

water. So, what can be done here? Alex Dunlop has tonight's special

report. When a site like this or this

prompts a weary sigh, you know this is an issue which will not go away

soon. In Essex, some drivers braved floodwaters. More than half a dozen

had to be rescued from their vehicles. I would really ask

motorists, stop and look at water, and think can you get through it?

The fact you have stopped indicate you probably can't. Turn around and

go another way. Meanwhile, in Cambridgeshire, this farmer says the

flood water is threatening to ruin his livelihood and that of others.

If we get a larger flood or more rain, the site will flood. It is

just absolutely common sense. The weather has been exceptional. Part

of the fans have seen three times the average rainfall for January.

Because of this rapidly changing Atlantic pattern, there is no time

for the water to drain away, so you end up with one lot of water falling

on the soil to keep it saturated and the next lot of rain comes through,

and it can't go anywhere but run straight up into the rivers drains,

and cause the stress on the water management systems. Long`term

solutions are planned. This weekend, the Ireland agency showed off a ?28

million defence scheme for Great Yarmouth. Another is on the cards

babes which. But today, the agency chairman said there is no bottomless

purse. We could face a stark choice Dashti protect town or country from

flooding. How do you decide whether to build fences and where to

prioritise? Recently, the drive has been around protecting prebuilt

property, but making those kind of decisions, we are also mindful of

the commercial benefits defence schemes can bring, not only

protecting properties but also jobs. Some experts say which is that back

and take the long view, and it is not good news. Since the last ice

age, written has actually seesawed so that Scotland has been rising and

East Anglia has sunk by several millimetres per year. Scotland is

still rising and East Anglia is still sinking. Is a noticeable in

our lifetimes? There is a measurable change every year, and that is

making the local sea level rise and making that more of a problem in

East Anglia than elsewhere in the country. Ultimately, it is

politicians who designed where our defences go. They are about to

announce next year's flood protection budget. The government

engineers and environmentalists acknowledge that some places may

have to be sacrificed so that others can be saved.

A wealthy businessman from Norfolk is being touted tonight as the next

chairman of the education watchdog Ofsted. The speculation was

triggered by the removal of the current chairman Sally Morgan. That

decision, by the Education Secretary Michael Gove, has led to claims of

cronyism. The first name connected with the vacancy is Theodore Agnew.

He is the founder of a chain of new academy schools in Norfolk and

Suffolk and a Tory supporter. He is little highly influential, and

he founded the Inspiration Trust, which runs seven academy schools

across Norfolk. Now he is also one of the front runners to become the

new head of Ofsted. The son of a Norfolk farmer, Mr Agnew was a Tory

party donor and in 2010, he advised Michael Gove, with whom he is a keen

supporter. He is a most remarkable man, and he has come into education

with a real mission to raise educational standards. It is the

only job he wanted to do in governments, and he is making a

difference. The Ofsted jobs available because Michael Gove has

ousted the current occupant, Labour peer Baroness Morgan. She has called

the decision politically motivated. Like Mr Gove, Mr Agnew is a firm

believer in the academy system and strong leadership in schools. That

goes to the heart of the problem. Good leadership in schools is what

tends them around, and that is what I am absolutely focused on in our

trust, that we will have really good leaders, and that is what will lift

the standards. With the prospect of someone so close to government

heading Ofsted, that has not done down well with teachers, and their

union said it would oppose his appointment. The appointment of

someone like Theodore Agnew raises very serious concerns about how

independent Ofsted will continue to be. There are already concerns about

how it operates, but to put in someone so closely linked with

government really does raise questions about whether it cannot

break effectively in an independent manner. So far, Mr Agnew has not

commented on the speculation about the Ofsted role, but for many, his

closeness to Mr Gove and his conservative credentials mean he is

very much a front runner. Right, let's have a look at the

sport. If you watched the rugby this weekend, you will know the name of

Luther Burrell. Yes, the Northampton centre played a starring role in the

Six Nations epic in Paris. Watching the game for us was Tom Williams.

Indeed. As debuts go, it was a heartbreaking

one for Northampton Saints' Luther Burrell, in the Six Nations on

Saturday. He's received widespread praise helping England launch an

astonishing comeback from 16`3 down, scoring under the posts, only to be

cruelly denied as France scored the match`winning try, two minutes from

time. From cold nights playing for Rotherham at Sedgley Park to an

England debut in the Calder another Stade de France. Luther Burrell's

rise to the red Rose has attracted plenty of headlines, but there was

no room for romance in Paris. The French flair was back. England were

in trouble. At half`time, it couldn't come soon enough. Luther

regrouped alongside his team`mates, and within minutes, he was living

the dream, running under the posts to give England and unlike the

lead. Few had heard of Luther Burrell when he signed a few years

ago. He failed to secure a premiership first`team place, and

had even been loaned out to championship clubs, but the Saints

thought he was worth something. It proved a wise investment. Watching

back home, a former team`mate who had watched England beat the French

during the 90s. He was one of many impressed by his turnaround in

fortunes. He did what has he has been doing well all season. He took

the ball, had a great physical presence, did not look fazed at all.

I have no doubt this will be his only cap. Sadly, the dream was not

to last. A late change saw him move to the wing, and England took

advantage of the defensive confusion. It was a cruel and to an

unforgiving match. We are in that game, we have a few phases together,

we played well, we made a couple of errors, we didn't go off to the gate

is the start, but we are very disappointed. On the flip side,

France were fantastic. They really came at us, and fair play to them

for getting a try at the end. It just shows you can't shut off before

80 minutes. A frenetic finish to a memorable match, but an unlucky

loser. Now to football, and Norwich, along

with Newcastle, have been charged by the FA for failing to control their

players during last week's Premier League match. Bradley Johnson and

Loic Remy were both sent off after a scuffle involving several players.

Johnson's ban was overturned. The clubs have until 6pm on Wednesday to

respond to the charge. Now from one scrap to another, and

City's fight for survival. The bare facts make pretty grim reading. In

24 league games, Norwich have scored 19 times ` less than a goal a game.

They've failed to score at all on nine occasions. In the two games

against Cardiff this season, they've had a whopping 58 shots, scoring

just once. 27 of those efforts came at Cardiff on Saturday, with Robert

Snodgrass scoring after just five minutes but in just 80 seconds after

the break, the home side turned the game on its head.

just once. 27 of those efforts came at Craig Bellamy with the first.

Kenwyne Jones made it 2`1. Norwich came agonisingly close to snatching

a deserved equaliser but defeat means they've slipped to 15th, with

just one win in nine. Two points clear of the drop zone. I don't

think you could fall to our efforts in trying to get back in the game

and think you could fall to our efforts

in trying to get back in trying to get that equaliser and possibly a

winner. Their goalkeeper had a good day, but if we make mistakes like we

did, we have got to be scoring goals, and we are finding that at

moment. The transfer window might have

closed but many of our teams with smaller budgets are counting the

days before the loan window re`opens. MK Dons need a new striker

after going 324 minutes without a goal. They've lost their last three

games including Saturday's 1`0 defeat against Tranmere. The

manager's desperate for more firepower in a bid to make the

play`offs. Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy praised

David McGoldrick after he scored the only goal in Saturday's win over

Bolton. The striker converted a penalty ` his 15th of the season `

keeping Ipswich in the Championship play`off race.

And Paula Radcliffe is targeting one final appearance at the London

Marathon. She's 40 now. The Bedford runner withdrew from the London

Olympics because of injury but she says she probably only ask her foot

to do one more marathon, which she hopes might be London next year.

For more sport go to the website, where there's reaction to Chris

Wilder's first point as Northampton boss, plus a list of all this week's

fixtures. Thank you very much. The breakfast

show on BBC Essex has a new presenter. James Whale has taken

over from Ray Clark, who's moved to an afternoon slot. He has worked in

radio and television for 40 years, including spells at LBC and Talk

Radio. He says he's delighted with his new role at BBC Essex. When you

come on the breakfast show the day is new. It is a new Day dawning, and

I get to deliver the latest news, talk to the people who are making

the news, usually before anyone else, and you will hear them here

first on BBC Essex. And now, the weather.

Thank you. It hasn't been a bad day. Plus three times, with the

winds gusting. But a great deal of sunshine, especially in the east.

More cloud in the West, as the weather front moves slowly towards

us, but it still has a way to go. We start fine and dry with some clear

spells, but eventually that pushes in from the West. Most of it light

and patchy, though we cannot rule out the odd heavy burst. Behind

that, dry skies with some clear spells, and under the clear skies,

the lowest temperatures later on in the night towards dawn, possibly

down to two Celsius or even lower in some spots. The potential for icy

patches for some of us and a bit of frost, but not everywhere. The rain

perhaps holds on until first light. Then tomorrow, the weather front

pulls away, taking the last of the rain with it. There's the area of

low pressure brings some wet and windy weather. More about that in a

minute, but tomorrow, the between two systems, and not a bad day.

Largely fine and dry. We are likely to see a few showers moving

through, but for most of us a dry day with some brightness and

sunshine at times. Temperatures not doing too badly, up to around eight

Celsius in some places, that is 46 Fahrenheit, so close, it not above

average for the time of year. We start with light winds, but by the

afternoon, a moderate to fresh southerly, so quite blustery

afternoon. Any showers will rattle through quite quickly in the second

half of the day. We finished largely fine and dry, give or take one or

two showers. But Tuesday night, later on, and into Wednesday

morning, we expect some wet and windy weather to arrive. The winds

are strong, perhaps gale force at time around the coast, with gusts of

around 50 miles an hour. That the moment, the strongest winds are

expected during the early hours of Wednesday morning and afternoon.

Wednesday of self, as well as the wind I mentioned and rain, it is

likely to be heavier, and Babs Jaya slots before some more heavy rain

later in the day. A pretty awful day, and one we are watching. More

details tomorrow. Hopefully by Thursday, that really wet and windy

weather will be out of the way. A quieter day, still quite blustery,

but the Windies is to a moderate fresh south`westerly, and Thursday

is looking largely fine and dry with just a scattering of showers. Friday

is looking dry, lighter winds still, although we are watching an area of

low pressure at the moment. It should stay to the south, keeping

the rain there. We will keep you posted. Thank you very much.

Before we go, a quick mention about tonight's Inside Out.

It features a remarkable musician called Nicholas McCarthy from

Colchester. Nicholas is a very gifted pianist, even though he only

has one hand. called Nicholas McCarthy from

Colchester. Nicholas is You can see Inside Out at 7:30. We will leave

you now with Nicholas and a piece by Scriabin. From all of us, good

night. Goodbye. Why are you staring at me? Just

wonder how things grow and grow Why are you staring at me? Just

wonder how things grow and grow Yeah, well, mummies and daddies

do argue sometimes. Did you hear any other words?

Pillock and another word. Can you please stop doing this

OK, you can put me down.