30/04/2013 Daily Politics

There is a straight debt - a debt of honour. These guys enabled Arab

troops on the ground, at risk of Stabilini Visiloni Ltd --

There is debate about whether that would include families of people

who worked with British soldiers out in Afghanistan. The truth of

the matter is, these are interpreters. The rest of them may

be at some rest. Should they be helped? -- some risk. These guys

were at the front line - being shot in day-in and day-out. They were

not in some area, cleaning dishes. I come back to the central

proposition. We have done this already for our interpreters in

Iraq. Ask any soldier were there that debt of honour should be

delivered and you will get a clear answer. I cannot understand why the

Government is thinking about it. Have you spoken to anyone in the

Government about it? Those private discussions ought to be kept

private. There was a meeting the other day to talk about this. The

view that it should be treated in same way as Iraq, I am told the

Home Office is in favour, the MoD is in favour, Nick Clegg is in

favour. Everyone went away and thought about how to apply it. It

is not supportable and untenable. Most people seem to be in support

of it. Here is a question. Find me a squaddie who has served alongside

these blokes. Find me one who does not. I believe you - I will not be

able to. What better on such a lovely spring day than a trip down

to your local market? But imagine if it was selling payment

protection insurance you don't need - or over priced energy. Not such a

pleasant experience. In the first of our series of MPs' soapboxes,

Conservative MP Laura Sands tells us why we need to restore

transparency in the marketplace. -- Come and buy your horse feed. More

air than Oates in that packet. PPI at discount rates. Price rises have

been disguised by the size of packaging. Disguised by substitute

products. Also price rises with strange promotions. It is now time

the consumer has the trees. -- the truth. We're up in this market,

where you can see and taste your food. It is important that we and

consumers know what the food has in it, what it looks like and how much

bearers in the box. It looks At the heart of markets is knowing

what you're going to buy. I am calling for greater simplification

on labelling and unit pricing. I mean, how many people know what a

kilowatt hour is? Then there would take kilo of cheeses. -- they know

what a kilo of cheese is. Companies must not mislead consumers. I am

calling for greater penalties to companies who do mislead the

consumer. I am a Conservative and I believe that markets work but only

when the consumer is king. After that trip to the market, she is

here now. To really think he can make something like choosing energy

tariffs as easy as choosing cheese? Ultimately, we have got the wrong

unit. What does a kilowatt hour do for you and what does it do to your

home? We need to translate this into units that people understand.

Also their products have a miles per gallon label on them. That is

not the same between differentiating between different

types of gas. It does the same thing - come through the same pipes

was a cheese is quite different. Cheese tastes, smells, looks

different and the price is different. Gas is not like that.

is not about that, it is about the consumer having power to receive a

product. If the have a plasma television on standby, it can cost

you a whole lot of money on standby. Tumble driers - one of the most

expensive products to have in your home. Does it say miles per gallon

on a product when you bring it into your home? I have constituents row

really suffering because of high energy prices and they do not know

how to control it. The marketing gas is not extremely competitive.

It is not a bad gas. It is about controlling consumption. -- about

gas. We should be talking about energy waste. We cannot do anything

about the market, that is what the Government has told me about.

can choose your supplier but you need to be in control of the

product itself as a bid is about knowing what a kilowatt hour does

and what is used in that kilowatt- hour around your home. I am sorry

to come back to this but it is such a big issue. Political parties say

time and again that the are the ones are not doing enough. That is

because she cannot set that up like a market. If it is the way in which

the Prime Minister says everyone is on a local tariff, there is no

competition. It is about knowing exactly what energy is being used

full. The Big Issue I have in my constituency is people are so

frightened in her -- about their bill, earned energy off and become

cold. -- they turn. Often it is an argument against privatisation of

public utilities. Not an argument against competition introducing

competition between private providers. It is a margin for

improving and effecting that competition. -- a market. I have

sat down with might and lectures are D Bell and tried to work out

what I am paying per kilowatt. -- my electricity bill. Is there any

sector in which competition in the marketplace does not work? Certain

places, like water, you're getting it from one supplier of. Instead of

getting consumers to have food science degrees to understand food

labelling, will become electrical engineers to understand and it to

the two girls, these companies have an incumbent responsibility to

translate their product and await a consumer can activate and push and

pull within the market. Should there be more competition for state

school places? Absolutely. A free school in London has created more

competition. We make Latin mandatory up to the age of 14. One

of them neighbouring community schools has introduce Latin for the

first time. -- introduced. You do need surplus places. It is hard to

make an argument for that during a period of austerity. In a sense,

there is no choice. There are surplus places in the system at

present. There is a shortage at primary level. That needs to be

dealt with and addressed. There is still a surplus of places. What is

it about Eton? The Prime Minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury and

the Mayor of London were all educated there. Last week, two more

Old Etonians got jobs in Downing Street. They're among the many

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

movers and shakers educated at Now who better to discuss this

issue than two people of influence educated at state schools? The

Labour MP, Hazel Blears, an alumna of Worsley Wardley Grammar School,

and Toby Young alumnus of Fortismere School in London is

still with us of course. Let us turn to you, not as an Old Etonian.

If Eton does have such a commitment to public service, as Jesse Norman.

Why are there not more of them in social services? One of the manor

for stations the public service ethic takes at schools like Eton is

to encourage its pupils to pursue careers in politics. -- one of the

manifestations. The criticism of having too many old Etonians at

Number 10, we should encourage other schools - not eaten - to do

as much as Eton does to try to get their graduates into politics.

cannot get to these positions because Old Etonians in power just

keep taking on other Old Etonians. I think, in the past, a Prime

Minister might have been cautious about promoting people who were old

Etonians on merit, because of its political toxicity. Britain is now

perceived to be a less class-bound society. As a result, it is not as

politically toxic as it might have been. There has been a reaction to

it. Even from some of his own MPs. They are not all representing

constituencies in the Westminster village. There are other schools

and some even admit women, has been said. I have always said I do not

mind if the Prime Minister has some Old Etonians in his Cabinet. What

worries me is when you get a Cabinet when you get people made up

from the same kind of background. If he said on a company board to

have had every one from a similar background, that business would not

succeed. In need a range of people with different light expenses,

different views, the ability to put a challenge into the system. I have

set up a scheme to bring working- class people to come and work in

Parliament, paid them a proper wage. Too many people are special

advisers, getting into government and ending up in the Cabinet.

there a danger that Labour is characterised as any wanting to see

state school pupils on the other side? This is a problem in all

political parties - Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Tory Party. We

have Tory politicians who have not done any other kind of job. There

is a political class that does not speak to them. We must do something

about it. They must become part of politics for people who would

normally never get a foot in the door. I feel passionately about it.

The more diversity there is in government, the better. It is as

much a problem for the Labour Party and as for the Conservative Party.