:00:39. > :00:40.Morning folks, and welcome to the Daily Politics.
:00:41. > :00:43.Just eight days to go until the people of Scotland decide whether or
:00:44. > :00:47.The fate of the 300-year-old union hangs in the balance,
:00:48. > :00:55.with polls suggesting the Yes and No campaigns are neck-and-neck.
:00:56. > :00:58.The Prime Minister makes an impassioned plea for Scots to
:00:59. > :01:07.He's cancelled his normal question time appearance,
:01:08. > :01:10.along with the other main party leaders, to head north to Scotland.
:01:11. > :01:13.Alex Salmond says the No campaign is falling apart at the seams.
:01:14. > :01:15.But with fresh warnings from the Governor of the Bank
:01:16. > :01:18.of England, and as investors continue to take fright, can the Yes
:01:19. > :01:23.With Messrs Cameron and Miliband off to Scotland, it'll be Hague
:01:24. > :01:30.We'll have all the action and expert analysis live at midday.
:01:31. > :01:33.And the journalist Alice Thomson says it's time to end the culture
:01:34. > :01:42.of politicians wining and dining with big donors.
:01:43. > :01:47.The Queen costs each taxpayer 56 pence a year. In return, we don't
:01:48. > :01:51.have to worry, she is wining and dining people, for a stack of cash
:01:52. > :01:57.to keep the show on the road. That should be the example for all our
:01:58. > :02:02.All that in the next 90 minutes, and with us for the whole of the
:02:03. > :02:05.programme today, the new Secretary of State for Wales, Stephen Crabb,
:02:06. > :02:07.and the Shadow Housing Minister, Emma Reynolds. Welcome to you both.
:02:08. > :02:10.Now, it's Wednesday, and usually that means we'd be gearing up for
:02:11. > :02:13.our weekly bout of verbal pugilism between the Prime Minister and the
:02:14. > :02:17.Leader of the Opposition. But wait - what's that? They're not going to be
:02:18. > :02:21.there? Why? The referendum? Yes, that's right. Messrs Cameron and
:02:22. > :02:24.Miliband have agreed to suspend hostilities in order to campaign in
:02:25. > :02:29.Scotland. They've even taken Nick Clegg with them - probably to carry
:02:30. > :02:31.their bags. Actually, I jest. The leaders aren't travelling together,
:02:32. > :02:41.and they certainly won't be sharing any stages.Yes, the Prime Minister
:02:42. > :02:43.and they certainly won't be sharing any stages. Yes, the Prime Minister
:02:44. > :02:47.is doing a Q in Edinburgh this morning with voters, Nick Clegg will
:02:48. > :02:49.be visiting an energy company in Selkirk at lunchtime, and Ed
:02:50. > :02:52.Miliband will be making a speech this afternoon in Glasgow. A short
:02:53. > :02:55.while ago, I spoke to our political correspondent, Norman Smith, just
:02:56. > :03:03.before he went in to hear the Prime Minister speak.
:03:04. > :03:09.It is a huge gamble by the three main unionist parties but it
:03:10. > :03:12.reflects the fact that the polls have tightened, they know they have
:03:13. > :03:15.to step up the intensity of their campaign and they have to try and
:03:16. > :03:24.seize the initiative, which is why they have taken the decision to set
:03:25. > :03:29.aside Prime Minister's Questions and make the case for the union, we will
:03:30. > :03:33.see the tone of the campaign changing. There has been criticism
:03:34. > :03:37.too much has been focussed on the economy, sterling and now there is
:03:38. > :03:44.to be a conscious effort to make a more emotional case to the people of
:03:45. > :03:51.Scotland, to site family, to reframe the argument, but it is a huge, huge
:03:52. > :03:56.gamble. The gamble is this, that they come up here and are seen as
:03:57. > :04:00.the Westminster elite, coming up to Scotland, to lecture the Scots at
:04:01. > :04:04.the very last gasp of this referendum campaign, that is the
:04:05. > :04:09.narrative we have been hearing from Alex Salmond, who insists it is a
:04:10. > :04:15.last minute panic measure and it might backfire, because if you look
:04:16. > :04:21.at their ratings, north of the border, let us be candid, David
:04:22. > :04:26.Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg are not highly regarded here. They
:04:27. > :04:29.advertise the fact they are the Westminster party, and that
:04:30. > :04:33.reinforces Alex Salmond's case, that Scotland would be better governing
:04:34. > :04:39.itself. O so it is a big risk and a big move by the three main party
:04:40. > :04:43.leaders. Norman Smith there let us pick up on
:04:44. > :04:47.that point. Aren't you playing into Alex Salmond's hands? He has said he
:04:48. > :04:52.will pay for the bus fares for all of them to travel up. Not at all. We
:04:53. > :04:56.knew the last days of the campaign would feel very intense indeed. We
:04:57. > :04:59.knew that the polls were tightening. You didn't think they would be this
:05:00. > :05:03.tight, did you? That is is right for the party leaders to make a stand,
:05:04. > :05:07.to go to Scotland and say this matters. Tell people of Scotland how
:05:08. > :05:12.much we want them to stick with the family, stick with the family of
:05:13. > :05:15.nations. You look cynical at this point, why wasn't it done before? It
:05:16. > :05:19.is only because the polls have shown one or two of them that they are
:05:20. > :05:24.tied the or the yes campaign is slightly ahead, that there is what
:05:25. > :05:28.looks like a desperate attempt to make appeal to Scottish voters?
:05:29. > :05:31.David Cameron has been going back and forward to Scotland since he
:05:32. > :05:35.became Prime Minister, speaking from his head and heart about why he
:05:36. > :05:38.wants Scotland to stick with the family of nations that is the United
:05:39. > :05:41.Kingdom. He isn't popular in Scotland, so could it make it worse?
:05:42. > :05:44.. I don't believe it will make it worse, I think it is a really
:05:45. > :05:48.important step that the party leaders take, today, it is not
:05:49. > :05:51.uncommon for the Prime Minister to miss PMQs for extraordinary
:05:52. > :05:55.occasion, this is an extraordinary momentous moment nor the United
:05:56. > :05:59.Kingdom. What difference is Ed Miliband going to make, bear in mind
:06:00. > :06:04.they have had to ask Gordon Brown, a previous Labour Prime Minister to
:06:05. > :06:09.step in to save the union? It is right that the three party leaders
:06:10. > :06:12.are up in Scotland. We expected all along the polls would narrow. One
:06:13. > :06:18.poll suggested that 20% of people have not made up their minds, so it
:06:19. > :06:23.is right that politicians across the political spectrum are there and
:06:24. > :06:26.Gordon Brown, a towering figure in British politics and Scottish
:06:27. > :06:30.politics has been involved in the campaign for quite some time, and
:06:31. > :06:34.again, it is unsurprising that he has started to come Pape more
:06:35. > :06:40.intensely in the last couple of weeks. Looking now, xue excuse me,
:06:41. > :06:44.Stephen crab, do you think there should have been another question on
:06:45. > :06:50.the ballot paper, that promised more powers to Scotland, in the event of
:06:51. > :06:55.a no vote? No, the decision that the people Scott land are taking is a
:06:56. > :06:59.complicated one, a difficult one. Having a choice between independence
:07:00. > :07:04.or remaining part of the UK... Was that the wrong decision? Would we be
:07:05. > :07:08.in this situation if there had been another choice on the ballot paper?
:07:09. > :07:11.It is difficult presented with that. There is a strong appetite within
:07:12. > :07:16.Scotland for more decision making to be taken within the boundaries of
:07:17. > :07:20.Scotland, the parties at Westminster are united in saying we are going to
:07:21. > :07:23.meet that appetite. But it is right for the people Scott land to make
:07:24. > :07:27.this decision whether they want to stick with the United Kingdom, stick
:07:28. > :07:30.with the family of nations or to go it alone as independents. Let us
:07:31. > :07:35.One of the things Mr Cameron et al will be talking about
:07:36. > :07:38.while they're north of the border will be more devolution as
:07:39. > :07:41.Yesterday, the leaders of the Scottish
:07:42. > :07:45.Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats stood on a joint platform
:07:46. > :07:48.to offer the Scots further powers if they vote No next Thursday.
:07:49. > :07:51.They hope this will be enough to dissuade people from voting
:07:52. > :07:56.The Yes Campaign says it's just a last minute panicky bribe.
:07:57. > :07:58.Stewart Hosie is deputy leader of the SNP group in Westminster, and
:07:59. > :08:14.Given all the uncertainties that are associated with independence, would
:08:15. > :08:18.it not be better to keep the certainty of the union, and all the
:08:19. > :08:24.extra devolutionary powers that are being promised to you? No, because
:08:25. > :08:28.the certainty with independence is that the Scottish people will have
:08:29. > :08:31.all of the power in their hands. The Scottish Government elected
:08:32. > :08:35.democratically, it will take all the decisions. When we talk about
:08:36. > :08:40.uncertainty, we have had this week Gordon Brown, our backbench Labour
:08:41. > :08:44.MP making a promise he can't keep, expecting the Scottish people to
:08:45. > :08:48.believe a Tory Government will implement a Labour plan. The weakest
:08:49. > :08:54.of the three plans on offer from the three unionist parties. I think the
:08:55. > :08:58.First Minister is correct. It this is a last ditch panic move. It is
:08:59. > :09:03.desperation at the heart of the no camp. Nobody is buying it. If you
:09:04. > :09:09.accept more Home Rule, Scotland's position in the EU, that is firm,
:09:10. > :09:13.its position in NATO, that is firm, monetary union with the rest of the
:09:14. > :09:16.United Kingdom, that is guaranteed. Independence, you can't guarantee
:09:17. > :09:20.any of these things, that is uncertain. I know I have made the
:09:21. > :09:24.case as to why a currency union is in the best interest of Scotland and
:09:25. > :09:29.the rest of the UK. You can't guarantee it. . I am certain that
:09:30. > :09:32.the arguments we have laid out, in terms of the currency are correct.
:09:33. > :09:37.There is not a serious commentator thinks we will be outside of the EU.
:09:38. > :09:41.I think the language that was used is Scotland be treated as a special
:09:42. > :09:45.and unique case. It could take time. It is not seamless, you party used
:09:46. > :09:49.to say it was automatic, the you wouldn't even have to apply again,
:09:50. > :09:54.you would remain a member of the EU. We although that is not the case
:09:55. > :09:58.now, it is uncertain. Andrew, I think it is the case that because
:09:59. > :10:02.there is no provision to pebbling a state or part of a state -- expel
:10:03. > :10:07.where there will be negotiation, they will be from the inside. You
:10:08. > :10:10.know, there are no more uncertainties with independence as
:10:11. > :10:19.there are risks as staying part of the union, this is a union with ?1.5
:10:20. > :10:23.trillion worth of debt. When the main parties travel to Scotland to
:10:24. > :10:28.tell the Scottish people what they can't do, they can't be seen to be
:10:29. > :10:32.photographed together. No-one is taking this seriously. The most
:10:33. > :10:36.serious point if there isn't uncertainty ant independence, why
:10:37. > :10:40.are investors pulling their cash out of Scotland, sinsing is on exit
:10:41. > :10:44.clauses in commercial property deals and the value of sterling is
:10:45. > :10:49.falling? That sounds like uncertainty. . In terms of sterling
:10:50. > :10:53.we saw a 1% dip two days ago, that has happened 16 times in the last
:10:54. > :10:59.year against the euro. Can I just point out against the dollar,
:11:00. > :11:05.sterling only a month ago was 1.72, it is now 1.61. That is a big fall.
:11:06. > :11:09.There are many reasons why currency prices change. I think to put all of
:11:10. > :11:13.that at the door of Scottish independence is wrong. To be honest,
:11:14. > :11:18.the smart commentators are suggesting as much of this is to do
:11:19. > :11:21.with the lack of preparedness of the UK government than independence
:11:22. > :11:28.itself. In terms of the stock price, if you look at Scotland's lives
:11:29. > :11:31.company, apart from cairn which has share problems unrelated to
:11:32. > :11:35.independence, their rise since the no campaign was at peak last
:11:36. > :11:40.September, it was 4.7%, that is against a 3.7% average for the FTSE
:11:41. > :11:45.100. It is wrong to suggest share prices are falling, because of
:11:46. > :11:49.independence. Except it was largely on Scottish prices that the big
:11:50. > :11:54.share prices fell. Why are investors pulling their money out of Scotland?
:11:55. > :11:59.Why are they moving their bank accounts south? The FTSE is down 1%
:12:00. > :12:02.already, that is across the entire inDerek this is not to do with
:12:03. > :12:07.Scottish independence. Why are people pulling their money out of
:12:08. > :12:12.Scotland? I have heard this scare story from our opponents many time.
:12:13. > :12:16.You know and I know over the past two years as the debate has
:12:17. > :12:20.happened, yes I have we have taken the lead, investment in Scotland,
:12:21. > :12:24.massive investment, not least the 14 billion of investment in the North
:12:25. > :12:28.Sea last year. It is wrong to say people are pulling out of Scotland
:12:29. > :12:32.at and it is wrong four our political Pope innocents to be
:12:33. > :12:39.spooking the market in this way. You say, just before I bring in our
:12:40. > :12:43.studio guests. A Scottish investment fund, we have moved hundreds of
:12:44. > :12:48.millions south of border, on the record. Another firm in Edinburgh.
:12:49. > :12:53.We have moved our bank account south. Resident commercial property
:12:54. > :12:58.investors now insisting on exit clauses should Scotland vote yes.
:12:59. > :13:01.That is uncertainty. It is on uncertainty if it is talked up.
:13:02. > :13:06.There are lots of reason to put an exit clause in deal if you think it
:13:07. > :13:11.might not go through. Doing it before? We are certain and I am sure
:13:12. > :13:17.the smart investors know this very well, that I will be huge
:13:18. > :13:20.opportunities in an ind Scotland, a country with a fundamentally robust
:13:21. > :13:25.economy, with huge plans to grow the economy, to create more wealth. I
:13:26. > :13:28.think investors will be flocking to Scotland to take advantage of the
:13:29. > :13:33.opportunities after the 19th September. I want you to listen to
:13:34. > :13:39.what our studio guests are saying. I will come back for a brief reaction
:13:40. > :13:44.from you. Why did Labour, which is basically calling the shots in this,
:13:45. > :13:47.in the no campaign, why did it wait to offer this new Home Rule package
:13:48. > :13:53.after all the postal votes had been cast? Well, Ed Miliband's been
:13:54. > :13:59.talking about further devolution for some time. You didn't spell it out
:14:00. > :14:05.until the postal votes had been cashed. The only conclusion is you
:14:06. > :14:09.are panicking The three party leaders have decided there should be
:14:10. > :14:13.further devolution of tax powers in addition to all the other powers the
:14:14. > :14:17.Scottish Parliament has. You are not going to take them way, are you.
:14:18. > :14:20.There has been a significant devolution of powers already in the
:14:21. > :14:25.time that we were in Government, and I think it is right now, in the
:14:26. > :14:28.closing weeks of campaign, that there is further clarity on the
:14:29. > :14:33.timetable. Let us have some clarity. Give us collarly. What extra tax
:14:34. > :14:38.powers will the Scottish Parliament get? We have talked about further
:14:39. > :14:42.devolution of income tax, obviously the details of that will need to
:14:43. > :14:47.be... You can't give clarity on what the details would be or a broad
:14:48. > :14:51.strategic description of what the income tax powers would be? There
:14:52. > :14:58.would be significantly more powers. What does that mean And that the tax
:14:59. > :15:01.now paid into the Treasury would go into Scottish coffers and there
:15:02. > :15:06.would be more control over that for the Scottish Parliament. How much
:15:07. > :15:11.income tax would be devolved? Detail would need to be worked out. Surely
:15:12. > :15:15.the people of Scotland are being asked to vote on their future, there
:15:16. > :15:21.is two alternative, one is clear, it is independence and they can take
:15:22. > :15:25.out a view on that. The alternative is not the status quo. We have been
:15:26. > :15:28.clear about that. You are saying further devolution, Gordon Brown
:15:29. > :15:33.calls it Home Rule. Don't the people of Scotland have a right to know
:15:34. > :15:38.what that would mean in terms of income tax, VAT, would the taxation
:15:39. > :15:43.on oil be devolved to Scotland? We have talked about the devolution of
:15:44. > :15:46.housing benefit. The devolution of income tax. I think it is very clear
:15:47. > :15:49.that there will be further devolution of power and I think that
:15:50. > :15:51.is right. I understand that but you promised clarity and I am not
:15:52. > :16:02.getting it. Will that taxation of oil be
:16:03. > :16:07.devolved? That is one of the things that will need to be worked out. I
:16:08. > :16:13.know that, I would like you to tell me will it all wanted or don't you
:16:14. > :16:17.know? The powers being put forward will fundamentally change the fiscal
:16:18. > :16:20.equation for Scotland. It will be a situation where most of its money
:16:21. > :16:24.gets handed down from Westminster and all they can decide to do is how
:16:25. > :16:27.they spend it to actually taking responsibility for raising when most
:16:28. > :16:33.of them may themselves. Whether that's from energy resources, or
:16:34. > :16:36.from income tax, corporation tax. So a home ruled Scotland would have its
:16:37. > :16:41.own powers over the taxation of oil would go to the Edinburgh
:16:42. > :16:58.parliament? We are not saying that exactly. You said taxation over
:16:59. > :17:00.energy policy. I said there were a lot of resources available from
:17:01. > :17:03.which governments can raise money, and what Scotland will get is a huge
:17:04. > :17:06.swathe of new powers, giving it responsible to the raising most of
:17:07. > :17:08.its money and then deciding how to spend it. That changes fundamentally
:17:09. > :17:10.the devolution equation for Scotland. Or are you hitting the
:17:11. > :17:12.panic button because you are about to lose the referendum? You say most
:17:13. > :17:15.taxation powers would be in Scotland. All the figures I have
:17:16. > :17:19.seen, whether you take the rather reluctant devolution of the Labour
:17:20. > :17:22.Party or the more enthusiastic devolution of your party is that
:17:23. > :17:27.actually about 40% of revenues raised in Scotland would go to the
:17:28. > :17:32.Scottish parliament. That's not most. Most income tax raised will be
:17:33. > :17:36.the responsibility. Income tax will become the responsibility of the
:17:37. > :17:40.Scottish Government. Do you agree that most income tax should be
:17:41. > :17:43.raised in Scotland? I think the decisions about text have wider
:17:44. > :17:46.implications for the rest of the union, and in that sense it is
:17:47. > :17:51.absolutely right. The direction of travel has been set, but the further
:17:52. > :17:55.detail needs to be considered with care and attention. But not by next
:17:56. > :18:01.Thursday, correct? Scots will have to vote blind on this matter. We
:18:02. > :18:04.have said income tax to a certain extent will be devolved and there
:18:05. > :18:08.will be further tax raising powers for the Scottish parliament. The
:18:09. > :18:13.direction of travel is clear. It is just the actual destination is not
:18:14. > :18:18.clear. Stewart Hosie, I will come back to you for the final word. A
:18:19. > :18:23.huge open goal in front of you? Reign just be serious for a second,
:18:24. > :18:26.the Scottish Government just a 600 page white paper, detail, questions,
:18:27. > :18:33.answers, everything, massive amount of detail. We can't even get a clear
:18:34. > :18:35.answer from Unionist parties about the proportion of income tax that
:18:36. > :18:41.will be devolved or if any other taxes will be devolved. It is simply
:18:42. > :18:47.not good enough, it is the bag of a -- back of a fag packet calculation.
:18:48. > :18:50.I can't wait till next Thursday. Neither can I, probably for
:18:51. > :18:53.different reasons. It's just that I'm working, you will be spectating.
:18:54. > :18:58.Stewart Hosie, thanks for joining us.
:18:59. > :19:01.We've heard plenty over the last few months and weeks about what Scottish
:19:02. > :19:05.independence would mean for Scotland - but what about the rest of the UK?
:19:06. > :19:08.What would a Yes vote next Thursday mean for people in England,
:19:09. > :19:16.Alex Salmond has said an independent Scotland would remove Trident
:19:17. > :19:21.nuclear sub Marines from their current base on the Clyde by 2020,
:19:22. > :19:24.leaving the rest of the UK with an expensive relocation bill. UK
:19:25. > :19:30.defence spending without Scotland would be reduced by 10%. Without
:19:31. > :19:34.Scotland, UK's role in the world could also change will stop if it is
:19:35. > :19:40.seen as less influential, United Kingdom would not be up to retain
:19:41. > :19:46.her permanent suit -- seat on the UN Security Council. Whether Scotland
:19:47. > :19:50.will be allowed to keep the pound would have an impact on the money
:19:51. > :19:53.markets. There will also be tough negotiation about how much of the
:19:54. > :19:58.national debt Scotland agrees to take on. Without Scotland, the rest
:19:59. > :20:02.of the UK's GDP would be about 8% smaller than now and the Westminster
:20:03. > :20:06.Treasury would take a hit from the loss of North Sea revenues fostered
:20:07. > :20:11.but some economists argue GDP per may actually increase in England,
:20:12. > :20:16.Wales and Northern Ireland and Scotland's average expenditure per
:20:17. > :20:20.person is ?1300 higher than the UK average. Politically, there is talk
:20:21. > :20:24.of a constitutional crisis. There could be cause for the Prime
:20:25. > :20:28.Minister and other party leaders to resign. An early general election
:20:29. > :20:33.could be triggered before Christmas. If the May 2015 election does go
:20:34. > :20:36.ahead, then any MPs elected in Scotland would only serve until the
:20:37. > :20:43.proposed Independence Day in March 2016. So if Labour is elected by a
:20:44. > :20:48.small majority, or there is a hung parliament, we could face another
:20:49. > :20:55.general election in 2016, once the 59 Scottish MPs are taken out of the
:20:56. > :21:03.equation. Let's look at some of the implications, if there is a yes vote
:21:04. > :21:07.next week, or even if there is not. A lot more home rule on offer for
:21:08. > :21:12.Scotland. Gordon Brown calls at home rule. Why shouldn't Wales have it?
:21:13. > :21:15.There isn't the appetite in Wales for independence, we know that.
:21:16. > :21:19.Devolution has worked in Wales, in the sense that it has killed off in
:21:20. > :21:24.the Tennents as a movement within Wales but what I believe is that the
:21:25. > :21:28.appetite for decision making within national borders, Wales, Northern
:21:29. > :21:33.Ireland and Scotland, that appetite should be met. So there should be
:21:34. > :21:37.more devolution of power to Wales? There will be in future if that's
:21:38. > :21:42.what the public opinion once. But are you in favour of it? I am
:21:43. > :21:46.open-minded about how devolution progresses in Wales. The important
:21:47. > :21:50.thing is that we need stability and a constitutional setup that helps
:21:51. > :21:55.foster unity rather than division. You once said devolution was as big
:21:56. > :22:00.a threat to this country as uncontrolled immigration, why do you
:22:01. > :22:04.want more of it? I was one of a great number of people in Wales who
:22:05. > :22:10.felt that devolution was a very risky path to go down, 12 years ago.
:22:11. > :22:15.It could cause huge and permanent damage to our country? In that time,
:22:16. > :22:18.devolution has worked in Wales, it has fostered unity and I think it's
:22:19. > :22:22.right. Every time the people of Wales when they asked you want more
:22:23. > :22:26.or less devolution, they say more please, but we don't want
:22:27. > :22:33.independence. Would a future Conservative government, if you win
:22:34. > :22:36.the election next year, will you give Wales more devolved powers?
:22:37. > :22:39.It's happening anyway. We have a bill going through Parliament which,
:22:40. > :22:45.for the first time, gives taxation powers to Wales. They are banking
:22:46. > :22:48.that, that's going through now. Will there be more, as a result of all
:22:49. > :22:53.the power unspecified in some areas that you are planning to give to
:22:54. > :22:57.Scotland, will there be more for Wales as well? If the appetite is
:22:58. > :22:59.therefore more powers, and Carl Wyn Jones has said he does not
:23:00. > :23:03.necessarily believe that Wales should have exactly the kind of
:23:04. > :23:08.devolution settlement Scotland, so it is not a case of whether Wales
:23:09. > :23:12.should have the same... I didn't ask that, I simply asked if there would
:23:13. > :23:19.be more? I said yes, Wales is getting more. Would that be true
:23:20. > :23:24.under Labour too? It is important to talk about devolution in England. We
:23:25. > :23:28.will come to that in a second, but let me sign off on the Wales
:23:29. > :23:32.question, would a future Labour government devolved more power to
:23:33. > :23:36.the Welsh Parliament or a semi? I think the Welsh assembly has already
:23:37. > :23:42.got a number of powers. We know that, but would it get more? I am
:23:43. > :23:46.not entirely confident that there is appetite for significantly more
:23:47. > :23:50.devolution of powers in Wales full stop let's come on to England, 85%
:23:51. > :23:55.of the United Kingdom by population. If Scotland is to get a
:23:56. > :23:58.lot more power, including almost complete control over its divest it
:23:59. > :24:03.affairs and substantial taxation powers, does that not mean that you
:24:04. > :24:07.have to answer the West Lothian question, that Scottish MPs cannot
:24:08. > :24:11.vote on English only matters? I think what is an important question
:24:12. > :24:15.is actually more so what does it mean in terms of the centralised
:24:16. > :24:21.nature of our country? We are more centralised than many other European
:24:22. > :24:24.countries. Why don't you devolve and have an English only Parliament
:24:25. > :24:28.Sundays in the Commons when Scottish and Welsh MPs can't vote on English
:24:29. > :24:32.matters? What it actually points to is that we need to devolved powers,
:24:33. > :24:35.responsibilities and perhaps resource, which we have talked about
:24:36. > :24:38.in recent months, to local authorities in England that come
:24:39. > :24:44.together and work together. That is, for me, a more significant move, in
:24:45. > :24:48.terms of devolution. Why would it be right for a Scottish MP, who under
:24:49. > :24:55.the Gordon Brown scheme that you signed up to, would have no say
:24:56. > :24:59.whatsoever over domestic Scottish matters, or over income tax, why
:25:00. > :25:04.should that Scottish MP have any say over England's domestic matters?
:25:05. > :25:08.Because there will still be domestic affairs we continue together and I
:25:09. > :25:13.believe in the integration of the UK Parliament. If this Scottish MP has
:25:14. > :25:18.no say over Scottish education or how it is to be funded, why should
:25:19. > :25:22.he or she have a vote over English education, which doesn't affect its
:25:23. > :25:26.constituency? We already have that situation, and I do think it is
:25:27. > :25:30.important that the body politic that sits in Westminster, that represents
:25:31. > :25:36.every corner of our family of nations, have the same rights. Is it
:25:37. > :25:41.conceivable that you can agree to all this extra devolution for
:25:42. > :25:46.Scotland without coming up for something with England as well, that
:25:47. > :25:50.allows English MPs... Alex Salmond says constantly the Scots should
:25:51. > :25:54.decide their own future. When will the English be allowed to decide
:25:55. > :25:59.their own domestic affairs without Scottish or Welsh MPs voting on the
:26:00. > :26:03.same issues? I don't think it is conceivable to devolve this new
:26:04. > :26:06.suite of powers to Scotland and leave the constitutional settlement
:26:07. > :26:12.affecting Northern Ireland, Wales and England in tact. You think there
:26:13. > :26:17.has to be a UK... Absolutely, there needs to be a UK wide response. Yes,
:26:18. > :26:19.we have given a commitment to give more powers to the people of
:26:20. > :26:23.Scotland, because that is what they want, but we need to look at the
:26:24. > :26:27.other nations as equal nations. We talk the language of being a family
:26:28. > :26:31.of nations, in the United Kingdom. For the first time, we need to look
:26:32. > :26:37.at the Constitution as if we are generally a family. The primers to
:26:38. > :26:42.has told the audience in Edinburgh that he would be heartbroken if --
:26:43. > :26:50.the Prime Minister. Arguing, I love my country more than I love my
:26:51. > :26:53.party. There we go. As we have been discussing, the latest ploy is to
:26:54. > :27:00.reach out to voters in Scotland to tell them that they really do want
:27:01. > :27:05.them to stay. We have heard from David Blunkett saying it is time for
:27:06. > :27:10.people in the UK to phone a Scottish friend.
:27:11. > :27:12.David Cameron and Ed Miliband urged homes and offices
:27:13. > :27:15.across the country to fly the saltire, and it was even raised
:27:16. > :27:19.It happens every day on Saint Andrew stay, but never mind.
:27:20. > :27:21.But in what the superstitious might regard as something
:27:22. > :27:25.of a bad omen for the unionists, the flag fell down, and it took several
:27:26. > :27:29.But, wherever you stand on Scottish independence, there's one thing that
:27:30. > :27:31.we know is universally popular, from Land's End to John O'Groats.
:27:32. > :27:34.No, not the Great British Bake-Off, I speak of course of the
:27:35. > :27:39.We'll remind you how to enter in a minute, but let's see if you
:27:40. > :28:03.MUSIC: "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson.
:28:04. > :28:14.I've always maintained I was innocent
:28:15. > :28:22.MUSIC: "Message in a Bottle" by The Police.
:28:23. > :28:25.I inherited a dairy industry in whch costs had risen, and producers
:28:26. > :29:06.MUSIC: "I Don't Like Mondays" by The Boomtown Rats.
:29:07. > :29:10.To be in with a chance of winning a Daily Politics mug, send your
:29:11. > :29:14.answer to our special quiz email address, that's dpquiz@bbc.co.uk.
:29:15. > :29:17.And you can see the full terms and conditions for Guess The Year
:29:18. > :29:27.on our website, that's bbc.co.uk/dailypolitics.
:29:28. > :29:30.What are the full terms and conditions? Have you got half an
:29:31. > :29:31.hour. No. It's coming up to midday here,
:29:32. > :29:34.just take a look at Big Ben, yes, Prime Minister's Questions is
:29:35. > :29:39.on its way, minus the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition,
:29:40. > :29:40.of course. Other than that, it's going to be
:29:41. > :29:43.great! LAUGHTER And that's not all,
:29:44. > :29:51.James Landale is here. So we have got the B team, all eyes
:29:52. > :29:55.are north of the border, does any buddy rarely care what Mr Hague or
:29:56. > :30:00.Miss Harman have to say? Only if they make a mistake. I would expect
:30:01. > :30:04.them to stick to safety first, talk about Scotland, they don't want to
:30:05. > :30:08.portray an image of disunity today. They will agree. Just to let you
:30:09. > :30:12.know, you quoted some of the premise's words, can you also tell
:30:13. > :30:15.you something else -- tell you something Ozzie said, he said this
:30:16. > :30:20.was a decision that would last for centuries. It was not, I quote, if
:30:21. > :30:25.you are fed up with the Tories, you can give them a kick. That is what
:30:26. > :30:32.the primers to said, -- Prime Minister said the premise to said
:30:33. > :30:37.effing Tories. Feeling more to the heart than the head. He saying to
:30:38. > :30:40.Scots, this is not an occasion if you are fed up with the effing
:30:41. > :30:45.Tories give them a kick, this is a decision that would last for
:30:46. > :30:47.centuries. Let's go straight to the house. I hope the language is
:30:48. > :31:03.better. To listen and talk to voters about
:31:04. > :31:07.the huge choice they face, and their message to the Scottish people is
:31:08. > :31:15.simple, from the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we want
:31:16. > :31:19.you to stay in the United Kingdom. I join the Prime Minister in the
:31:20. > :31:25.tribute he paid on Monday to Jim Dobbin who died at the weekend. He
:31:26. > :31:27.was a proud Scot and a hard-working and principled particletarian who
:31:28. > :31:31.was respected op both sides of this House. He will be very sadly missed
:31:32. > :31:35.and I know that the thoughts of the whole House are with his family and
:31:36. > :31:39.his friends. Mr Speaker, this morning I had meeting with
:31:40. > :31:44.ministerial colleagues and others and in addition to my duties in this
:31:45. > :31:50.House I will have further such meetings later today.
:31:51. > :31:55.Can I join the the leader of the House in paying tribute to Jim
:31:56. > :32:00.Dobbin, he was a kind and decent man and he he will be sorely missed. Our
:32:01. > :32:05.thoughts and prayers are with his wife Pat and the family. The bedroom
:32:06. > :32:10.tax is discriminal nay Troy. It is damaging amend not even working. On
:32:11. > :32:14.Friday, this House was very very clear, will the Government now
:32:15. > :32:19.listen, will it scrap this wretched pod sip -- policy because if they
:32:20. > :32:23.won't, we will. Well, Mr Speaker, this is a basic
:32:24. > :32:27.issue of fairness here, because if you live in private rented
:32:28. > :32:30.accommodation and receive housing benefit the rules apply throughout
:32:31. > :32:35.the whole of the last Labour Government and we had a situation
:32:36. > :32:39.which neighbouring households could be treated unequally. She asked
:32:40. > :32:43.about the Private Members Bill, the proposal in that bill could cost the
:32:44. > :32:50.country up to ?1 billion and because we have introduced a cap on overall
:32:51. > :32:55.spending, making the changes would mean finding savings elsewhere. I
:32:56. > :33:00.haven't heard suggestion from the party opposite for that. Assuming a
:33:01. > :33:04.no vote in the Scottish referendum, who in the Government will respect
:33:05. > :33:09.England for the new devolution settlement? Who speaks for England,
:33:10. > :33:16.because we need a voice and a new deal? Well, there are many of us who
:33:17. > :33:21.having represented Yorkshire for 25 year, I can claim to speak for
:33:22. > :33:25.England, from time to time. -- years.
:33:26. > :33:30.Your shire men are keen for a far bigger area than they represent
:33:31. > :33:39.themselves. Of course, all of these debates are to be had once the
:33:40. > :33:44.referendum is concluded. Can I thank the Right Honourable member for the
:33:45. > :33:49.word he said about our good friend and colleague Jim Dobbin, and add my
:33:50. > :33:55.tribute to him on his sudden and tragic death at the weekend. He was,
:33:56. > :33:59.as has been said a accident man who stuck to his principles and at a
:34:00. > :34:05.time when it is fashionable to say politicians are in it for themselves
:34:06. > :34:08.he was the opposite of that. Our deepest sympathies are with Pat and
:34:09. > :34:16.their children and we will miss him greatly. -- a accident man. Historic
:34:17. > :34:20.is is a much overused word in politics, does he agree in eight
:34:21. > :34:24.days people the people of Scotland will make a truly historic decision?
:34:25. > :34:30.This is their vote, but I want the message from this side of the House
:34:31. > :34:36.to be heard loud and clear, we want Scotland to stay. I do agree with
:34:37. > :34:40.the Right Honourable lady and that is a clear message from her side of
:34:41. > :34:43.the House and from our different political perspectives, from the
:34:44. > :34:47.side of the House as well. I hope therefore the message the people of
:34:48. > :34:52.Scotland will hear from this House, where Scottish Parliamentarians have
:34:53. > :34:56.made an imminence -- immense contribution for generations we want
:34:57. > :35:00.to stay together and cannot imagine life on these isles without him
:35:01. > :35:05.them. She is a London MP and speaks for millions in what she has said.
:35:06. > :35:10.As, as I fleshed, I am a Yorkshire MP who served as Secretary of State
:35:11. > :35:15.for Wales and we are all proud to be British, combining those identities.
:35:16. > :35:20.There is no doubt we would all be diminished if Scotland was separated
:35:21. > :35:24.from the people of the rest of UK. The roots of our party are deep in
:35:25. > :35:30.Scotland, and we deliver devolution and the Scottish Parliament, but we
:35:31. > :35:34.need to go further. Will he confirm that there will be further
:35:35. > :35:41.devolution and a Scotland Bill setting is out new powers, published
:35:42. > :35:45.in January? Well, as the Right Honourable lady knows that the three
:35:46. > :35:51.main party leaders have come together to agree a programme for
:35:52. > :35:56.change, the member for Cowdenbeath has set out a process for how it
:35:57. > :36:00.could be delivered, to a tight timetable, all three main parties
:36:01. > :36:04.have endorsed that timetable and it mean, immediate action, the day
:36:05. > :36:07.after the referendum, to start the legislative process, it means a
:36:08. > :36:12.command paper, including proposals at the end of October, with a full
:36:13. > :36:17.draft Scotland Bill published by the end of January. And the introduction
:36:18. > :36:21.of a bill, after the general election, regardless of who forms
:36:22. > :36:27.the Government. So that is a clear timetable, and it shows that Scots
:36:28. > :36:32.can have change, without irreversible separation and without
:36:33. > :36:36.risks to jobs and their future. For the clarity of that answer, as we
:36:37. > :36:40.set about devolving further powers to Scotland does he agree that time
:36:41. > :36:46.has also come to devolve further power to Wales and crucially to the
:36:47. > :36:51.great cities and regions of England too? The decision next week, of
:36:52. > :36:54.course, as we know is a matter for the people of Scotland, the
:36:55. > :37:01.implications will be felt by all the people of the United Kingdom, we are
:37:02. > :37:05.already steadily devolving increased power to the, to parts of England as
:37:06. > :37:09.well as have been doing so in Wales, under this Government, Wales has
:37:10. > :37:13.received more primary law making power, we are moving to devolving
:37:14. > :37:18.tax and borrowing powers for the first time, we want to see
:37:19. > :37:24.devolution in Northern Ireland succeed, in England the Lokalism act
:37:25. > :37:28.devolves power of business rates to Local Authorities an city deals have
:37:29. > :37:33.given local areas more of a say. The great strength of the United Kingdom
:37:34. > :37:38.is that it is not a rigid union, it's a living, flexible union, and
:37:39. > :37:44.that is one of its greatest strengths of all. For us, on this
:37:45. > :37:49.side of the House, a fundamental principle of our politics is
:37:50. > :37:53.solidarity, we want the UK to stick together in the cause of social
:37:54. > :37:58.justice. Does he agree with me it is wrong to set the different countries
:37:59. > :38:05.of the UK against each other, whether it is on workers' rights or
:38:06. > :38:09.corporation tax? Well, the Right Honourable lady makes a powerful
:38:10. > :38:13.point about solidarity in the UK. For 300 years we have sat in this
:38:14. > :38:17.House, with Scottish Parliamentarians and their
:38:18. > :38:20.predecessors and they have sat together, from the 18th century to
:38:21. > :38:25.implement a range of together, from the 18th century to
:38:26. > :38:28.causes, from the abolition of the slave trade to our pursuit of human
:38:29. > :38:35.rights and development across the world. We have often led the way at
:38:36. > :38:39.times of world crisis, and been an inspiration to democratic peoples
:38:40. > :38:44.elsewhere. The next 300 years could be as turbulent and dangerous at the
:38:45. > :38:50.last 300 year, so to tear apart a union so proven, so precious, and so
:38:51. > :38:55.valuable, would be a tragic mistake for all our people. People in
:38:56. > :38:59.Scotland can now be certain that with a no vote there would be
:39:00. > :39:05.change, and more powers for Scotland. Does he agree with me that
:39:06. > :39:10.posed against that certainty, is the uncertainty that a yes vote would
:39:11. > :39:14.bring on so many issues like job, pensions, mortgages and the
:39:15. > :39:19.currency? The uncertainty would bring, as impossible to list in the
:39:20. > :39:25.answer to one question, but a letter signed last week by more than 120
:39:26. > :39:30.job creators from across the whole range of Scottish business concluded
:39:31. > :39:35.that the business case for independence had not been made. They
:39:36. > :39:38.said uncertainty surround vital issues including currency,
:39:39. > :39:43.regulation, tax, pension, EU membership and support from for our
:39:44. > :39:46.exports round the world. They said uncertainty is bad for business. The
:39:47. > :39:49.Governor of the Bank of England said yesterday that sovereignty and the
:39:50. > :39:55.currency union are incompatible and he is right. Many of us have pointed
:39:56. > :40:00.that out for many years in relation to another currency. And be certain
:40:01. > :40:04.of this. Be certain of this. This is not an opinion poll where you can
:40:05. > :40:08.change your mind the next day. It is not an election where you can
:40:09. > :40:14.reverse the result four or five years later. It is a permanent
:40:15. > :40:17.decision that will affect generations, and therefore, the
:40:18. > :40:22.votes cast next Thursday will probably be the most important vote
:40:23. > :40:29.that can be cast in any country, at any time, and the voters must
:40:30. > :40:33.therefore weigh that vote heavily. While jobs, pension, taxes are
:40:34. > :40:37.important, next week's decisions, as he rightly says is about much, much
:40:38. > :40:42.more than that. For sure, there must be change. We must have that and we
:40:43. > :40:47.will, but not by tearing this country apart. We must stay as
:40:48. > :40:58.family, not become foreigners to each other. She puts it very well.
:40:59. > :41:02.We all want the best for Scotland as we want the best for our own
:41:03. > :41:06.constituents, from all parts of the UK in many. The people of England,
:41:07. > :41:09.Wales and Northern Ireland believe Scotland is better off in the UK and
:41:10. > :41:14.the UK is better off with Scotland in it. So this referendum is the
:41:15. > :41:18.most important choice the people of Scotland will ever make. A choice
:41:19. > :41:23.between the opportunity and security of staying in the UK, or of leaving
:41:24. > :41:27.for ever, without the pound, without the UK's influence in the world,
:41:28. > :41:32.with Scotland as part of the UK, we have the best possible situation and
:41:33. > :41:39.a great future together in the United Kingdom. Mr Speaker, since
:41:40. > :41:45.2012, my right honourable friend and I have been supporting the policy of
:41:46. > :41:49.the Government, not to offer so-called Devo Max as a consolation
:41:50. > :41:53.prize in the event of a no vote, in the Scottish referendum. If this is
:41:54. > :41:58.no longer the policy of the Government, when and why did it
:41:59. > :42:04.change, and what opportunity has there been for this House to express
:42:05. > :42:07.its view? It has been the policy of the Government for some time, to be
:42:08. > :42:12.open to further devolution and I gave examples of what we have done
:42:13. > :42:17.in Wales for instance, during the lifetime of this Government. The
:42:18. > :42:24.statements by the party leaders, made on this in the last few day,
:42:25. > :42:27.are statement by party leaders, in a campaign, not a statement of
:42:28. > :42:31.Government policy but a statement of commitment from the three main
:42:32. > :42:35.political party, akin to statements by party leaders in a general
:42:36. > :42:39.election campaign, of what they intend to do afterwards, it is on
:42:40. > :42:45.that basis they have made those statements.
:42:46. > :42:51.In 2012, the Chancellor set himself a target to double exports to 1
:42:52. > :42:57.trillion by 2020. I wonder whether he could won firm his Government is
:42:58. > :43:03.on course to miss this tart get by a massive -- this target by a massive
:43:04. > :43:07.300 billion. Nobody can claim to know what the figure will be in 2020
:43:08. > :43:14.since we are only in 2014 at the moment. A great deal of work, a
:43:15. > :43:20.great deal of work has to be done, but we have greatly intensified the
:43:21. > :43:26.promotion of British e ports, that is why and in my time as Foreign
:43:27. > :43:29.Secretary opened nearly 20 new embassies and Consulates, including
:43:30. > :43:36.many that the party opposite closed when they were in power, that is why
:43:37. > :43:41.we have revamped UK TI. We have huge increases in exports to countries
:43:42. > :43:45.like China and India and Brazil, and everybody, of all parties and
:43:46. > :43:50.business, must join in making a success of that by 2020. Mr Speaker,
:43:51. > :43:54.my right honourable friend the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister
:43:55. > :44:01.and the Leader of the Opposition are rightly campaigning today, for the
:44:02. > :44:07.future of our union. On a dally day sips, with Gatwick in my
:44:08. > :44:13.constituency, I see the strong family and business links between my
:44:14. > :44:17.local airport and Scottish airports. Does my right honourable friend the
:44:18. > :44:23.leader of the house agree with me, that our great kingdom is better
:44:24. > :44:29.together, as a united Britain? I say that as somebody with proud Scottish
:44:30. > :44:34.ancestry. Yes, I absolutely agree with my honourable friend and what
:44:35. > :44:38.he can see at Gatwick Airport and what we all experience round other
:44:39. > :44:43.parts of eping England and Wales is a very good example of his point. In
:44:44. > :44:47.fact two thirds of Scottish exports are exported to the rest of the
:44:48. > :44:54.United Kingdom. Twice as much as to the rest of the world put together.
:44:55. > :44:59.Why would anyone choose to place an international border, where those
:45:00. > :45:05.exports are going? And do so unnecessarily. So he makes a very
:45:06. > :45:09.powerful point. Mr Speaker, the leader of the house
:45:10. > :45:15.is right. Next Thursday, the Scots go to the polls to make what is
:45:16. > :45:18.undoubtedly the most historic momentous decision we have had the
:45:19. > :45:31.privilege to consider. Will the Leader of the House join me
:45:32. > :45:34.in congratulating the Scottish people for the way they have gone
:45:35. > :45:45.around conducting this incredible debate? Well, I'm happy... He is
:45:46. > :45:49.right, it was a gentle understatement that we want
:45:50. > :45:55.different things from this process. LAUGHTER
:45:56. > :45:57.But of course we applaud the people of Scotland for taking such an
:45:58. > :46:02.immense interest in this on all sides. And of course it's very
:46:03. > :46:05.important that there is a high turnout in any such referendum, so I
:46:06. > :46:11.absolutely congratulate the people of Scotland, but I don't
:46:12. > :46:19.congratulate those such as his own party who have failed to be straight
:46:20. > :46:22.with the people of Scotland. Who have never explained what money
:46:23. > :46:27.Scotland will use, and what its value will be, who have never
:46:28. > :46:31.explained how long it would take to rejoin the European Union and on
:46:32. > :46:36.what terms, who have never explained how they would fund schools and
:46:37. > :46:40.hospitals, when there would be a ?6 billion black hole in their
:46:41. > :46:45.finances, who haven't explained that their threat not to pay debts would
:46:46. > :46:48.be disastrous for Scotland's long-term future. They are
:46:49. > :46:51.passionate about Scotland, and they are passionate about separation but
:46:52. > :46:59.they are not passionate about telling the truth to the people of
:47:00. > :47:06.Scotland. Embracing three centuries, the garrison town of
:47:07. > :47:13.Colchester has welcomed thousands of Scottish soldiers, many with their
:47:14. > :47:17.families. We wish that to continue. Does the Leader of the House agree
:47:18. > :47:22.with the Defence Select Committee that if Scotland ceased to be part
:47:23. > :47:27.of the UK, and we have the best Armed Forces in Europe, this would
:47:28. > :47:31.pose serious security and defence risks for a separate Scotland,
:47:32. > :47:39.without the capacity to defend itself? My honourable friend makes
:47:40. > :47:42.an extremely important point. He sees the participation and the work
:47:43. > :47:48.and the sacrifices of members of the armed Forces from Scotland when they
:47:49. > :47:51.are deployed in cultures to. I see the garrison in my own constituency.
:47:52. > :47:59.He makes an important point about the security of all of us --
:48:00. > :48:05.deployed in Colchester. It is important for Scotland's security.
:48:06. > :48:08.Her Majesty's Naval base, Clyde, is the largest employment site on the
:48:09. > :48:14.whole of Scotland and is going to get vigour with the deployment of
:48:15. > :48:25.all of our submarines. These things are put at risk. Last Thursday, I
:48:26. > :48:30.attended a public meeting in my constituency, where the doctors were
:48:31. > :48:37.consulting their patients about how they were going to deal with a
:48:38. > :48:44.budgetary cut of 22 to 24% by the year 2018. This cut of 22 to 24% has
:48:45. > :48:47.officially been notified to them by NHS England. Will the Leader of the
:48:48. > :48:51.House confirmed that if the Conservatives are in power after the
:48:52. > :48:55.general election, these are the cuts that my constituents can expect? I
:48:56. > :49:00.can confirm that this government has raised the NHS budget in line with
:49:01. > :49:04.inflation, which his party was not committed to do at the last general
:49:05. > :49:07.election. I know the Secretary of State for health will want to
:49:08. > :49:13.discuss with him the details of the local situation, but I hope he did
:49:14. > :49:18.explain to them that, overall, since the last election, the number of
:49:19. > :49:23.nurses is up 3700, the number of doctors is up 6500, the number of
:49:24. > :49:28.people who say they are treated with dignity and respect is up 10%, and
:49:29. > :49:32.we've now been ranked as the top health system in the world,
:49:33. > :49:33.according to the Commonwealth fund, moving from seventh in the world
:49:34. > :49:44.four years ago. Would my right honourable friend
:49:45. > :49:48.applaud the initiative of Prince Harry, in creating the Invicta 's
:49:49. > :49:59.games, and welcome all the participants to this country on our
:50:00. > :50:03.behalf? Absolutely -- Invictus Games. This is an important
:50:04. > :50:07.continuation of the immensely proud sporting history we have in this
:50:08. > :50:10.country. We are established again as one of the great sporting nations of
:50:11. > :50:15.the world, and we are also a country that thinks deeply about the welfare
:50:16. > :50:19.of service veterans and his Royal Highness, Prince Harry, has been one
:50:20. > :50:26.of the great champions of this and we wish him and everyone involved in
:50:27. > :50:31.the game is very much well. In 2012, the primers to said he wanted to see
:50:32. > :50:34.economic growth that meant rising living standards for all. Can the
:50:35. > :50:38.Leader of the House tell us why Britain has seen one of the largest
:50:39. > :50:44.falls in real wages of any EU country, beaten only by Cyprus,
:50:45. > :50:48.Portugal and Greece? He might remember that there was a debt
:50:49. > :50:54.fuelled recession that came about under the previous government. And,
:50:55. > :51:00.of course, that has to be paid for. But after four years now of the
:51:01. > :51:03.disciplined policy of my right honourable friend, the Chancellor of
:51:04. > :51:09.the Exchequer, we now have the fastest growth of the G-7 economies.
:51:10. > :51:15.We have employment nearing a record high. We have nearly 2 million new
:51:16. > :51:18.apprenticeships who have started in this time. This is a remarkable
:51:19. > :51:24.economic turnaround from a catastrophic situation we were left.
:51:25. > :51:29.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Does the Leader of the House agree with me
:51:30. > :51:34.that Scottish independence is not about getting one over Westminster,
:51:35. > :51:38.is not about embarrassing the Prime Minister or the leader of the
:51:39. > :51:44.opposition, it's not about defeating the old enemy, but it is about
:51:45. > :51:47.Scotland turning its back on 300 years of successful union and
:51:48. > :51:55.rejecting so much that this country has made to make us all so proud of
:51:56. > :52:00.being part of Great Britain? My honourable friend is right, it is
:52:01. > :52:06.not about any individual or party or election, it is a far longer term
:52:07. > :52:10.decision than that. And, I must say, in my experience all over the world,
:52:11. > :52:16.other nations regard the UK with admiration and sometimes even envy.
:52:17. > :52:21.If Scotland voted yes, all over the world, people who share our values
:52:22. > :52:25.and count on our contribution to peace, stability and human rights,
:52:26. > :52:28.would be disappointed, while those who don't share those priorities and
:52:29. > :52:34.beliefs would be quietly satisfied, and that is another thing we all
:52:35. > :52:43.have to bear in mind. At the end of last month, my constituent
:52:44. > :52:48.disappeared in Qatar. He had been arrested by the Secret Service there
:52:49. > :52:53.because he was investigating the human rights abuses of workers who
:52:54. > :52:58.were working to build the infrastructure for the 2022 World
:52:59. > :53:03.Cup. I thank the Foreign Office for their help in securing his release,
:53:04. > :53:10.but what action will he take to speak to the Ambassador of Qatar
:53:11. > :53:14.about the disgrace of arresting him in the first place and the treatment
:53:15. > :53:20.of those preparing those facilities? The honourable member 's right to
:53:21. > :53:25.say the Foreign Office has pursued it and achieved some success in
:53:26. > :53:29.doing so, as we will in any parallel cases in the future. I know that the
:53:30. > :53:33.embassy and the Foreign Office will want to follow up these matters.
:53:34. > :53:37.That is for my successor, the Foreign Secretary, to determine, so
:53:38. > :53:41.I will draw his attention to the question asked by the honourable
:53:42. > :53:49.member and ask him to write to him about it. With mounting evidence of
:53:50. > :53:52.an innovative, very vibrant and growing real economy, especially in
:53:53. > :53:56.manufacturing and engineering, does the first Secretary of State agree
:53:57. > :54:00.with me that Scotland should remain with us, first to share in the
:54:01. > :54:07.fruits of that success, and second to give us a bigger footprint in the
:54:08. > :54:10.global trade? Yes, I do. This is another very good point, and the
:54:11. > :54:14.economic turnaround that has now been brought about by the UK means
:54:15. > :54:19.that employment in Scotland is now at a record high. There have been
:54:20. > :54:24.seven consecutive quarters of economic growth in Scotland. And
:54:25. > :54:29.there are a quarter of a million more private-sector jobs in Scotland
:54:30. > :54:32.than there were four years ago. That is a reminder of the potential, if
:54:33. > :54:37.we continue to work together, and that is the message that I again
:54:38. > :54:43.repeat to the people of Scotland today. I welcomed suggestions that
:54:44. > :54:48.the premise to will attend the crucial climate summit at the end of
:54:49. > :54:51.this month. Will he confirm the primers to will go and will he tell
:54:52. > :54:54.us what bold new initiative is the prime list will be taking with him,
:54:55. > :54:58.because that's what my constituents in Brighton say they want. They want
:54:59. > :55:04.to protect what they want, they want urgent action on climate change.
:55:05. > :55:09.Order, can I just say, for future reference, it is disorderly to
:55:10. > :55:12.display images in that way, and I say with all courtesy to the
:55:13. > :55:17.honourable lady, whose principal and commitment I respect, that if
:55:18. > :55:22.everybody did that on every cause, it would make a mockery of this
:55:23. > :55:28.place. I asked the honourable lady to take a view much wider than her
:55:29. > :55:34.own immediate preoccupation. Leader of the House. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
:55:35. > :55:40.The answer is the Prime Minister will attend the UN General Assembly
:55:41. > :55:44.later it is September. We haven't yet issued or finally decided his
:55:45. > :55:51.precise schedule, but of course we are looking at attending the meeting
:55:52. > :55:56.the honourable lady refers to, and Britain will continue to play a
:55:57. > :56:00.leading role in the world in bringing about legally abiding
:56:01. > :56:03.agreement on climate change. The next 15 months is a very important
:56:04. > :56:08.period on this, leading up to the meeting in Paris at the end of next
:56:09. > :56:12.year. We are one of the most active countries in the world on climate
:56:13. > :56:15.change diplomacy, and the prime list and other ministers in New York will
:56:16. > :56:24.be fully conveying that, whoever attends the meeting. Will my
:56:25. > :56:28.honourable friend explained to the house why it is that with the
:56:29. > :56:34.possibility that there could be a yes vote, finance is leaving
:56:35. > :56:38.Scotland, many businesses are thinking of leaving Scotland? Surely
:56:39. > :56:43.if economic arguments were so good for the Yes campaign, the reverse
:56:44. > :56:47.would be happening? My honourable friend makes a very powerful point,
:56:48. > :56:53.the anxieties of big businesses are very clear to see. And while we can
:56:54. > :56:57.understand people doubting the word of politicians about economic
:56:58. > :57:01.events, it's very important to listen to what businesses say they
:57:02. > :57:06.will do with their jobs, with their headquarters, with their
:57:07. > :57:10.investments, because a country that has separated itself from the
:57:11. > :57:15.fastest-growing economy of the G-7, that put itself outside the European
:57:16. > :57:21.Union without thinking about implications of doing that, and that
:57:22. > :57:24.ended up with no central bank and unsure which currency was going to
:57:25. > :57:32.use would of course find it difficult to attract new business to
:57:33. > :57:36.its shores. The transatlantic trade and investment partnership believes
:57:37. > :57:40.the health service vulnerable to some of the worst possible outcomes
:57:41. > :57:46.of this government's privatisation programme. Private investors will be
:57:47. > :57:50.able to hold the government and devolved ministrations through the
:57:51. > :57:53.investor state settlement tribunal, in that respect how can the Leader
:57:54. > :57:58.of the House guarantee that the health service, including the health
:57:59. > :58:06.services in the devolved administrations, will be except? My
:58:07. > :58:11.right honourable friend has been dealing with these matters and has
:58:12. > :58:14.held a briefing about such matters, so I have no doubt we can furnish
:58:15. > :58:22.her with more details on these issues. But it is very important to
:58:23. > :58:24.maintain a commitment to free trade that has been a characteristic of
:58:25. > :58:31.the United Kingdom over many centuries, and which has invariably
:58:32. > :58:34.brought greater prosperity to the people of the UK, as well as to
:58:35. > :58:38.people all over the rest of the world. The transatlantic trade and
:58:39. > :58:46.investment partnership is another major opportunity to boost free
:58:47. > :58:50.trade across the world. Mr Speaker, a vote next week in favour of an
:58:51. > :58:54.independent Scotland would have major damaging implications for
:58:55. > :58:59.Wales. Does my right honourable friend agree with me that my fellow
:59:00. > :59:05.Welsh citizens, who care about the future of our Welsh nation, should
:59:06. > :59:11.be hoping and praying for rejection of the break-up of the United
:59:12. > :59:17.Kingdom? Yes. Absolutely. I think they are. I regularly consult with
:59:18. > :59:22.at least one Welsh citizens, and on the evidence of that, they are very
:59:23. > :59:26.much hoping and praying that the UK will not be broken up, and my
:59:27. > :59:29.honourable friend I know speaks very well for his constituents in mid
:59:30. > :59:33.Wales. All of us in the United Kingdom would be diminished by the
:59:34. > :59:36.break-up of the United Kingdom. We are something greater than the sum
:59:37. > :59:42.of our parts, and that is well understood across the UK, and the
:59:43. > :59:50.impact upon Wales would be a mistake of all.
:59:51. > :59:58.Six in ten people couldn't get a GP's appointment within two days of
:59:59. > :00:03.them needing one. Can the Secretary of State explain to the house why
:00:04. > :00:08.his party won't support Labour's patrol Sams to guarantee an
:00:09. > :00:12.appointment withinle hours. Professionals in the health system
:00:13. > :00:17.have said going back to that target would be a counter productive thing
:00:18. > :00:24.to do. And the honourable member knows that the number of people
:00:25. > :00:29.treated by GPs has increased by many millions over the last four years,
:00:30. > :00:35.that is a trend that is continuing, of course, we are always trying to
:00:36. > :00:39.seek further improvement but reintroducing the old failed target
:00:40. > :00:45.is not the way forward. When I travel abroad, and I am asked
:00:46. > :00:48.where I come from, I am proud to say, I am British. Does my right
:00:49. > :00:54.honourable friend agree with me that you can be proud to be British but
:00:55. > :00:58.still have your own identity of being English, Scottish, Welsh or
:00:59. > :01:05.from Northern Ireland and we should remain together and continue as
:01:06. > :01:08.Great Britons. I don't think anybody could have put it better. My right
:01:09. > :01:12.honourable friend has his own identity in different ways, he has
:01:13. > :01:15.expressed that beautifully including his identity with the United Kingdom
:01:16. > :01:22.and that is how so many of us think in Britain and let us hope it is
:01:23. > :01:26.possible to continue to do so. Mr Speaker, can I support the visit
:01:27. > :01:30.of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the leader of the
:01:31. > :01:34.opposition, speaking directly to people of Scotland, my right
:01:35. > :01:37.honourable friends and myself, and honourable member, speaking on
:01:38. > :01:41.behalf of the vast majority of the people in Northern Ireland, they
:01:42. > :01:47.want the United Kingdom to stay together, and it is my hope, that
:01:48. > :01:51.some of those who are crowing today, may be disappointed after the
:01:52. > :01:55.referendum. That is certainly my hope as well, and I am very pleased
:01:56. > :01:59.the right honourable gentleman has been able to make this point. It
:02:00. > :02:04.means in this short Question Time, we have heard from members from
:02:05. > :02:08.England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with very clear message to the
:02:09. > :02:15.people of Scotland, that we want them to stay. Mr Speaker, my parents
:02:16. > :02:23.will soon celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. My mother was
:02:24. > :02:27.born in Aberdeen, and my father in Cambridge. Is my right honourable
:02:28. > :02:31.friend reassured there is no need for any senior politicians to come
:02:32. > :02:36.to their anniversary event, because my parents know in their heads, and
:02:37. > :02:42.in their hearts, that in their union, as in the other union, they
:02:43. > :02:43.are happier together and better together.
:02:44. > :02:49.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:02:50. > :02:56.Well I extend the congratulations of Her Majesty's Government to his
:02:57. > :03:01.parents. And indeed, of the whole of the House of Commons, and I think
:03:02. > :03:06.all the political parties in it. Even of the Scottish National Party
:03:07. > :03:10.on this occasion, they are an example to us all, particularly
:03:11. > :03:15.after 60 year, and I hope that example will be one that will
:03:16. > :03:20.continue to be heeded and respected all over the UK.
:03:21. > :03:27.Mr Speaker, contrary to the previous question, from temperature member
:03:28. > :03:31.from Perth, this campaign has been fraught by fear and intimidation.
:03:32. > :03:37.But is somewhat ironic, Mr Speaker, that the majority of the Scottish
:03:38. > :03:41.separatists, have turned out for today's debate, yet just last fried
:03:42. > :03:47.when we were discussing the important factor of welfare reform,
:03:48. > :03:53.less than half of them turned out to a debate that justified, that
:03:54. > :03:59.justifies their priorities to come here, to whinge rather than debate.
:04:00. > :04:06.I don't think I needed a to the honourable member's description of
:04:07. > :04:16.the Scottish National Party. Mr Scottish pro unionist friends have
:04:17. > :04:20.reminded me that the Middle East peace envoy reportedly said he
:04:21. > :04:25.welcomes the publication of the Chilcott report. Will he tell the
:04:26. > :04:31.House when we can expect the report to be published? I can tell him this
:04:32. > :04:35.work continues, that Lord Chilcott said he intends to publish the
:04:36. > :04:40.report as soon as possible. There is no, I don't have any fixed date I
:04:41. > :04:45.can give to my honourable friend. I will only observer had that inquiry
:04:46. > :04:52.been set up when I and others first called for it and voted for it, in
:04:53. > :04:58.2006, it would have reported long ago. It was set up late, it is
:04:59. > :05:04.therefore reporting late an we look forward to it. Is it acceptable for
:05:05. > :05:08.young people to be fed take away pizza at lunchtime, because the
:05:09. > :05:12.government has failed to prepare schools properly for the
:05:13. > :05:19.introduction of a free nutritious meal? Well, I think to put that into
:05:20. > :05:24.perspective, I think the latest figures are that 98.5% of schools
:05:25. > :05:29.are now providing a hot meal as they were intended to do, to infants,
:05:30. > :05:33.that is going up all the time. There are Government funds of course to
:05:34. > :05:38.help those schools who need new facilities to do so. It think it
:05:39. > :05:43.would be right to welcome the entirety of that picture, rather
:05:44. > :05:53.than trying to find fault with one small aspect of it.
:05:54. > :05:57.STUDIO: It was like Hamlet without the Prince there. It was a bit of a
:05:58. > :06:02.love in as well. Almost as if I am sure this is not the care, almost as
:06:03. > :06:06.if the two frontbenches has choreographed their love for the
:06:07. > :06:09.union and their hatred of Scottish independence as they cooed at each
:06:10. > :06:13.other across the despatch box. Even the backbenchers got in on the act
:06:14. > :06:18.with a lot of anti-independence questions coming from MPs, except
:06:19. > :06:22.from the one Scottish Nationalist who asked a question, we didn't
:06:23. > :06:26.learn anything new, some will have heard the sound of stable doors
:06:27. > :06:30.closing as the horse has already bolted. Let us see what you thought
:06:31. > :06:36.of it There was less of a love in among the viewers. This came from
:06:37. > :06:40.Joan. It is undemocratic to offer more powers after many people have
:06:41. > :06:42.posted their votes. Although it doesn't breach the Edinburgh
:06:43. > :06:47.agreement it does breach the spirit of it. I don't want to be governed
:06:48. > :06:53.by a bunch of Charlatans. This from Alistair. "We in non-Metropolitan
:06:54. > :07:00.England need a concrete plan for real equal devolution, not LEP,
:07:01. > :07:04.grand council or glorified unity authorities but devolution for all.
:07:05. > :07:08.This from Bill. "Leaders have long their reason. Vote no and we will
:07:09. > :07:12.give you more independence. No should mean no. Yes should mean yes.
:07:13. > :07:17.Let us get rid of the Scottish Parliament. If we are better
:07:18. > :07:23.together it is better to have one Parliament." This from Linda. "Let
:07:24. > :07:26.them go. Move air and sea bases to Northumberland, be careful what
:07:27. > :07:32.rights Scots are offered or we will all be up in arms." There we go.
:07:33. > :07:37.Perhaps the most significant intervention came from John red wood
:07:38. > :07:41.hen he asked the question who speaks for England? The English voice has
:07:42. > :07:46.not really by heard in this campaign. It is clear we will hear
:07:47. > :07:50.from England if the vote is yes. If it is no, then in other ways I think
:07:51. > :07:53.we will be hearing from England as well.
:07:54. > :07:56.Any way, the real action was not in the Commons today, it was north of
:07:57. > :08:00.the border, with the Prime Minister being there, the leader of the
:08:01. > :08:05.opposition and the Deputy Prime Minister too. While we were on air
:08:06. > :08:09.David Cameron has been speaking in Edinburgh, to an audience there. Let
:08:10. > :08:12.us have a look at what he has to say.
:08:13. > :08:18.Sometimes because it is an election, a ballot, I think people can feel it
:08:19. > :08:22.is like a general election, that you make a decision and five years later
:08:23. > :08:27.you can make another one, if you are fed up with the Tory, give them a
:08:28. > :08:31.kick and maybe we will think again this is tote definitely represent to
:08:32. > :08:36.a general election this is a decision about not the next five
:08:37. > :08:42.years, it is a decision about the next century. That was the Prime
:08:43. > :08:46.Minister speaking in Scotland. James, this must have been put
:08:47. > :08:50.together at the last minute. It was only yesterday we found out they
:08:51. > :08:55.were going to Scotland. Yes it is. When we spoke to the Prime
:08:56. > :08:59.Minister's spokesman we said when he is going up, we were told in the
:09:00. > :09:03.last week. A decision was clearly taken, I think the moment of change
:09:04. > :09:07.happened on Monday afternoon, after the Prime Minister's statement on
:09:08. > :09:11.NATO. He and Ed Miliband met behind the speaker's chair in the Prime
:09:12. > :09:16.Minister's offices there. They said we have to go up, they hatched this
:09:17. > :09:21.plan to abandon PMQs and go up. Is it last minute? Yes, we saw the
:09:22. > :09:25.Prime Minister not speaking from note, he swiftly moved off those,
:09:26. > :09:30.talking passionately using words we don't normally here from a Prime
:09:31. > :09:35.Minister, but clearly. Not publicly. Trying to inject a bit, this is not
:09:36. > :09:40.just to use his words a chance to have a go at the effing Tories but a
:09:41. > :09:46.wider decision. He was close to tears towards the end I have seen in
:09:47. > :09:50.some reports. We will no doubt see that later. The Prime Minister said
:09:51. > :09:55.in this speech, if Scotland did vote yes he would have to handle the
:09:56. > :10:00.negotiations, up until 2015 when we see the result of the election.
:10:01. > :10:06.Which suggests that he, that sort of reinforces his claim he will not
:10:07. > :10:10.resign, if he loses Scotland. But my sources tell me there is a lot of
:10:11. > :10:14.Tory MPs will want him to resign. There will be some Conservatives who
:10:15. > :10:19.will call for him to go if a yes vote wins. The question to look for
:10:20. > :10:25.is, are those conservative MPs the same ones who called for him to go
:10:26. > :10:29.before or are there news one? If you are a Conservative MP you might be
:10:30. > :10:32.furious, passionate and angry if that is what happen, the loss of the
:10:33. > :10:39.union, you will be thinking what are the best chances for me in 2015? Do
:10:40. > :10:43.they think a divisive leadership contest, is that the best way to do
:10:44. > :10:47.it, or do they try and say, look, this, the Prime Minister has taken
:10:48. > :10:50.the hit, he will be forever known as the Prime Minister who presighed
:10:51. > :10:57.over the loss of the union and hope he goes, you know, at the time of
:10:58. > :11:00.the election. So, he is making very clear, and privately his people made
:11:01. > :11:04.clear he is not going to, because they believe there will be enough
:11:05. > :11:09.people who will say, no, now is not the to lose a Prime Minister,
:11:10. > :11:12.because will not, you will get saying do we want have that
:11:13. > :11:20.uncertainty? Probably not. It is having an effect on your party, the
:11:21. > :11:24.Conservative Party's, standing and reputation, the before this, what
:11:25. > :11:27.you might call the crisis in the friend came up, you were almost
:11:28. > :11:32.getting nip and tuck with Labour, you are seven points behind. There
:11:33. > :11:36.is no appetite among my Conservative colleagues for any change in
:11:37. > :11:39.leadership. It is above party politics. It is not a destroy of
:11:40. > :11:44.strength. David Cameron is our Prime Minister now, he will be ourpm after
:11:45. > :11:48.the friend because there will be huge decisions that have to be
:11:49. > :11:52.taken. The leader of the Conservative and unionist party will
:11:53. > :11:56.have lost the union. Some Tory backbenchers are describing him as
:11:57. > :12:00.the Lord north of the 21st century. The Prime Minister who lost the
:12:01. > :12:04.American colonies. We have provided the opportunity for the people of
:12:05. > :12:07.Scotland to have this discussion, they are taking the decision, it
:12:08. > :12:10.isn't about David Cameron, Ed Miliband or any Westminster
:12:11. > :12:13.politician, it is about what the people of Scotland choose, we want
:12:14. > :12:21.them to make the right decision, which is to stick with the UK. If,
:12:22. > :12:27.is it not something of a crisis for Ed Miliband as well, because the
:12:28. > :12:30.Labour Party has dominated the better together campaign, they have
:12:31. > :12:35.called the shots, we saw that again with Gordon Brown this week, and if
:12:36. > :12:39.it is a yes vote, it will be because Mr Miliband could not convince
:12:40. > :12:44.enough of his own supporters to vote for the union. He couldn't get them
:12:45. > :12:48.out. So therefore, he will go down as being a man who lost the union.
:12:49. > :12:53.We don't know what is going to happen. I am saying if it is a yes
:12:54. > :12:58.vote. This is a distraction, the most serious implication of a yes
:12:59. > :13:03.vote next week is separation of Scotland from a 300-year-old union
:13:04. > :13:10.and a real risk it diminishes our voice in the world, in terms of the
:13:11. > :13:15.UN, we heard from from your report, these are the serious implications
:13:16. > :13:18.of separation. We know that but the men, you know, when China went
:13:19. > :13:23.Communist there was a huge debate who lost China, in America. There
:13:24. > :13:28.are, who lost Iran was a great debate after 1979 and the people in
:13:29. > :13:32.power at the time, have to take some of the responsibility. Now, Mr
:13:33. > :13:36.Cameron is the Prime Minister, so he is the man who would be leader at
:13:37. > :13:41.the time if this was to happen. But we know from the polls that 95% of
:13:42. > :13:46.Scottish Conservatives intend to vote for the union, we also know
:13:47. > :13:51.from the latest polls that maybe 30-35% of Labour voters are going to
:13:52. > :13:56.vote for independence. Now that is pure surely a major problem for Ed
:13:57. > :14:01.Miliband. We don't know yet how the voters are going to vote. We won't
:14:02. > :14:05.know until polling day. We have seen the trends. Why prematurely engage
:14:06. > :14:09.in a blame game. We don't know what is going to happen. What is
:14:10. > :14:13.important is we make the arguments, that Scotland should stay within the
:14:14. > :14:18.family of nation, for all the positive reasons but we outline the
:14:19. > :14:24.risks and to be frank I think this is a bit of a distraction, having a
:14:25. > :14:28.potential blame game scenario, it trikes me as... The better together
:14:29. > :14:33.campaign was about 20 points ahead and it is closed. Who is to blame
:14:34. > :14:37.for that? There has been a significant percentage of people in
:14:38. > :14:40.Scotland who are undecided. Now, according to a poll yesterday there
:14:41. > :14:44.are still 20% of people, that is a massive number of people, one in
:14:45. > :14:49.five people in Scotland still undecided. There is still all to
:14:50. > :14:53.play for, you know, the polls were always going to narrow. The better
:14:54. > :14:56.together campaign has been ahead for the last weeks and month, it was
:14:57. > :14:59.always going to be closer to the time of the referendum, I really
:15:00. > :15:02.think you know discussion about David Cameron's future and Ed
:15:03. > :15:06.Miliband's future is a distraction. When the focus should be on the real
:15:07. > :15:11.issue at hand which is what will happen to Scotland, and the rest of
:15:12. > :15:14.us, if they vote for separation. I understand we are a week away from a
:15:15. > :15:17.referendum in which the polls are nip and tuck. It is only right that
:15:18. > :15:21.the rest of the United Kingdom should start to think more than it
:15:22. > :15:26.has, about the consequences of a yes vote, so let me ask another question
:15:27. > :15:30.along these line, if it is a yes vote should the general election in
:15:31. > :15:43.May be postpones. I don't see a clear reason why. Why
:15:44. > :15:46.should Scotland get to vote if it has already voted to depart the
:15:47. > :15:52.United Kingdom? I think we continue as business so far, work that is set
:15:53. > :15:54.back in primary legislation, you need to come act of Parliament and
:15:55. > :15:59.reworked the legislation to do that. The simplest thing is you
:16:00. > :16:03.press ahead and at the point in 2016 if Scotland does vote yes for
:16:04. > :16:07.independence, that is the point the Scottish MPs, we lose them from
:16:08. > :16:11.Westminster. You could be in a position of Labour forming the next
:16:12. > :16:16.government, only because of the 40 or so MPs cut from Scotland. MPs
:16:17. > :16:22.will be temporary, will be leaving with Independence Day on 2016. That
:16:23. > :16:26.would make you a government of the walking wounded right from the
:16:27. > :16:30.start. Under the eyes of the English, illegitimate. Firstly, I
:16:31. > :16:33.think there is no question that we could go beyond a parliament of five
:16:34. > :16:36.years. I think, if I'm right in saying, that would not be
:16:37. > :16:41.constitutional, and it certainly would set a kind of dangerous
:16:42. > :16:44.precedent for elections in the future. And secondly, we just simply
:16:45. > :16:50.don't know what's going to happen next week. Obviously, I hope that we
:16:51. > :16:55.win the general election next year with a significant majority. This is
:16:56. > :17:00.kind of uncharted territory, in terms of the what ifs and the
:17:01. > :17:04.wherefores. Until we know what happens on Thursday next week, I'm
:17:05. > :17:13.not sure this is where the date is at. Westminster, that YouGov poll
:17:14. > :17:15.has concentrated minds in Westminster and they are now
:17:16. > :17:19.thinking about the consequences of this. For example, if Mr Miliband
:17:20. > :17:24.wins the next general election in 2015, I would suggest he could not
:17:25. > :17:27.appoint a Scottish minister in any department because every government
:17:28. > :17:31.department will be involved in setting up the rest of the UK's
:17:32. > :17:36.divorce terms, so you can't put the other side on your side. That will
:17:37. > :17:40.have to be decided by legislation. It is very clear the negotiating
:17:41. > :17:47.teams on both sides will have to be specifically set out, and that...
:17:48. > :17:51.You say Westminster is waking up, and yet the most astonishing thing
:17:52. > :17:56.is that Westminster and Whitehall have not made contingency plans.
:17:57. > :18:01.Whenever I am told this, I say, surely not, but all these officials
:18:02. > :18:02.say they are not doing it, even the Cabinet Secretary said before
:18:03. > :18:06.Parliamentary committee this week we have not done it because we have
:18:07. > :18:13.been told by our political masters not to do it. And yet, if a Yes vote
:18:14. > :18:17.is successful, there are hundreds of questions about how you and stitch
:18:18. > :18:20.Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom. What happens to all the
:18:21. > :18:23.civil servants who work for the UK in Scotland, what happens to the
:18:24. > :18:27.civil servants who work in England or Wales or Northern Ireland for
:18:28. > :18:30.Scotland? Do they lose their jobs, do they have to move anywhere? On
:18:31. > :18:35.top of all the other issues we have talked about, currency and defence,
:18:36. > :18:39.they're all of those issues too, and yet there is no contingency plan for
:18:40. > :18:43.that matters the most extraordinary thing about this. If there is a Yes
:18:44. > :18:44.vote, they will be very busy from the early hours of 19 September
:18:45. > :18:49.onwards. Until 2016. Now, as the general election looms,
:18:50. > :18:51.all the parties are desperately trying to raise enough cash to
:18:52. > :18:54.finance their campaigns. At the 2010 general election,
:18:55. > :18:56.parties spent more than ?31 million on the campaigns, and this was down
:18:57. > :18:59.from the 2005 general election, But how do party officials persuade
:19:00. > :19:04.people to part with their cash, and is it always done
:19:05. > :19:06.for the right reasons? Here's the journalist Alice Thomson
:19:07. > :19:08.with her soapbox on why we need state funding
:19:09. > :19:22.for our political parties. We all enjoy a nice lunch,
:19:23. > :19:24.but it seems politicians, especially our leaders, are being forced to
:19:25. > :19:28.eat more than the rest of us. Leading figures across all parties
:19:29. > :19:30.are expected to wine and dine influential businessmen
:19:31. > :19:33.and celebrities, in order to try to It's time we looked at alternatives
:19:34. > :19:39.- not least because of our In smart restaurants
:19:40. > :19:43.and boardrooms across London, We have Labour cosying up to
:19:44. > :19:49.the unions. Since Ed Miliband became leader,
:19:50. > :19:53.they've provided ?8 out of every The Tories host balls
:19:54. > :19:58.and auctions to win a drink with the Chancellor or a tennis match
:19:59. > :20:00.with the Prime Minister. In the first three months of this
:20:01. > :20:03.year, they raised ?6.6 million. As next year's general election
:20:04. > :20:06.looms, all the parties need to raise enough cash to pay for
:20:07. > :20:08.their general election campaigns. It's not enough to have
:20:09. > :20:10.a manifesto and candidates, So instead of focusing ideas,
:20:11. > :20:15.they are wasting time and energy on entertaining rich potential
:20:16. > :20:18.donors desperate for influence The solution is state funding
:20:19. > :20:26.of political parties. Spending limits should be cut
:20:27. > :20:28.and donations capped. Parties would then be forced to
:20:29. > :20:30.concentrate After all, there are more people
:20:31. > :20:36.signing up to the Caravan Club But they refuse to do this,
:20:37. > :20:44.worried that voters will recoil at having to pay more
:20:45. > :20:47.for the antics of this venal lot. They should find
:20:48. > :20:49.the courage to make their case. The Queen costs each
:20:50. > :20:53.taxpayer 56 pence a year. In return,
:20:54. > :20:55.we don't have to worry, she is and dining people for a stack
:20:56. > :20:59.of cash, to keep the show on road. That should be the example
:21:00. > :21:05.for all our politicians. Alice Thomson joins us now from that
:21:06. > :21:09.rather swanky restaurant. Are you saying that politics rarely is that
:21:10. > :21:14.correct, that is the only way to clean it out, to have state funding?
:21:15. > :21:19.It's not that it's corrupt, it is just that they waste an awful amount
:21:20. > :21:22.of time wining and dining, and have the Prime Minister spending that
:21:23. > :21:26.amount of time is a waste. It is the same with the unions, they are far
:21:27. > :21:29.too influential. It is not exactly corrupt but I think the worst it
:21:30. > :21:32.probably gets is that there are so many peers in the House of Lords who
:21:33. > :21:35.have given money to one of the parties. I just don't like that, I
:21:36. > :21:41.would prefer to give the money myself actually. I would not mind
:21:42. > :21:45.spending 40p a year. Dare I say it come you may be alone or in a very
:21:46. > :21:48.small minority, because generally people just don't want to give money
:21:49. > :21:53.in that way to the funding of political parties. It is not in
:21:54. > :21:57.fashion. It is not in fashion because of the ways MPs have
:21:58. > :21:59.behaved, but that is not to say it is wrong. I actually think it would
:22:00. > :22:03.rarely help politics and it would clean it up, and then you would get
:22:04. > :22:06.better people in the House of Lords, and also you would get the
:22:07. > :22:09.politicians concentrating on the right issues. I don't want them to
:22:10. > :22:12.spend a lot of time with very rich people and unions, I would like them
:22:13. > :22:16.to spend a lot of time with more normal people, campaigning and being
:22:17. > :22:20.in their constituency. But even if there was some state funding, even
:22:21. > :22:24.if people did give donations or there was more money coming from
:22:25. > :22:31.individual electors, wouldn't that still go on? Wouldn't there be
:22:32. > :22:34.wining and dining anyway? You're not going to end that whole industry in
:22:35. > :22:39.itself with state funding. I think they would be lobbying, but it would
:22:40. > :22:42.be more lobbying campaigns, and it would not be individual very rich
:22:43. > :22:47.people and the unions having much more sway than they would be able to
:22:48. > :22:51.have if the money was not involved. And you would get better people in
:22:52. > :22:56.the House of Lords. Stephen Crabb, are you convinced by that argument?
:22:57. > :23:01.I'm not. Alice herself said we do not have a corrupt system in the UK,
:23:02. > :23:04.actually the UK has one of the best systems are financing the business
:23:05. > :23:07.of politics. In Germany for example, you have a large amount of state
:23:08. > :23:12.funding and that does not tackle all the problems there either. The
:23:13. > :23:16.public would say what about MPs expenses, cash the question is, what
:23:17. > :23:20.about MPs being secretly filmed by your colleagues. That does say there
:23:21. > :23:25.is a level of corruption that might not be there with state funding. And
:23:26. > :23:26.all of that has led to improvements in the system, greater
:23:27. > :23:30.transparency, greater accountability, so the system is
:23:31. > :23:33.getting better. We need to go further, we need to have a cap on
:23:34. > :23:37.donations, screen out some of the wrong influence there is a system
:23:38. > :23:40.but we are getting better. It is an easy thing to knock your own
:23:41. > :23:46.political system but it is an awful lot better than so many others out
:23:47. > :23:50.there. As a party, we feel it should fall around ?50,000, the cap, we
:23:51. > :23:54.think that is an acceptable limit in somebody wanting to donate their own
:23:55. > :23:58.money they have turned to a political party. Do you ever think
:23:59. > :24:05.there will be state funding introduced? Wane ever ever? Let's
:24:06. > :24:09.talk about the next few elections. Certainly not in the foreseeable
:24:10. > :24:17.future. I think there is still a lack of trust in politicians,
:24:18. > :24:20.unfortunately. The MPs expenses scandal looms large. I am very
:24:21. > :24:27.synthetic to what Alice says. In terms of House of Lords, there is a
:24:28. > :24:31.much simpler solution, have an elected House of Lords to get around
:24:32. > :24:35.this phenomenon new speak about. I would certainly -- that you speak
:24:36. > :24:40.about. I would like to see a cap on donations, I think 50 grand is far
:24:41. > :24:44.too high. I do access the argument that politicians are spending quite
:24:45. > :24:49.a bit of time raising this kind of money. But, unfortunately, I think
:24:50. > :24:52.you have outlined, Jo, the public appetite, and I'm sure we will get a
:24:53. > :24:56.lot of responsiveness on Twitter, it is not really there for state
:24:57. > :24:59.funding. A lot of responsiveness on Twitter, it is not really there for
:25:00. > :25:04.state funding. It doesn't sound like more pay, but what I'm saying is
:25:05. > :25:08.what we will give you is more money for your party for you to do that so
:25:09. > :25:14.you can concentrate on all the potent issues. We are not saying we
:25:15. > :25:22.want more pay, let's be clear about that. The authority have told us. I
:25:23. > :25:24.think they are wrong, because in the public sector for example... But you
:25:25. > :25:31.haven't got a say in it, do you? This morning has brought
:25:32. > :25:33.an announcement of an important new line up; no, it's not
:25:34. > :25:36.the starting XI for this Saturday's Arsenal squad, it is, of course, the
:25:37. > :25:39.role allocations for Jean Claude Lord Hill is the British
:25:40. > :25:42.representative So let's take
:25:43. > :26:05.a look at what he ended up with, It is not quite a key job at the
:26:06. > :26:09.moment. There are other more important jobs. The economic one was
:26:10. > :26:14.one that Britain might have got, the internal market as well.
:26:15. > :26:16.The top economics position goes to Pierre Moscovici,
:26:17. > :26:24.a French Socialist, who will now be responsible for EU economic policy.
:26:25. > :26:27.This will pose questions about the EU's approach to deficit
:26:28. > :26:38.This particularly now that the French manners in there, perhaps
:26:39. > :26:40.Brussels won't be as strong on deficit reduction as it was before.
:26:41. > :26:44.Here's what Juncker had to say earlier this morning.
:26:45. > :26:53.We are at the beginning of a new commission. We have an exceptional
:26:54. > :26:59.opportunity, but also an obligation to make a fresh start and get down
:27:00. > :27:04.to work to address the very difficult geopolitical situation, to
:27:05. > :27:09.strengthen the economic recovery, and to build a united Europe that
:27:10. > :27:18.delivers jobs and growth to its citizens. I think I have the right
:27:19. > :27:21.team to do so. That was Jean-Claude Juncker, joining me now from
:27:22. > :27:26.Brussels a la Europe correspondent, Chris Morris. How did Jonathan Hill
:27:27. > :27:30.actually get that job? We didn't think he would get any of the top
:27:31. > :27:34.jobs, certainly not in financial services. The joke was he would be
:27:35. > :27:40.in charge of multilingualism, but David Cameron has pushed hard to get
:27:41. > :27:44.a senior economic job, and I think if you had offered Downing Street
:27:45. > :27:47.the job of Commissioner in charge of financial stability and financial
:27:48. > :27:51.services six weeks ago is they would bitten your hand. It involves
:27:52. > :27:55.supervision of banks and other matters which really affect the City
:27:56. > :27:59.of London, so I think what it is as quite a big olive branch, if you
:28:00. > :28:01.like, from Jean-Claude Juncker, because don't forget it was only a
:28:02. > :28:05.couple of months ago that Cameron said he was absolutely the wrong man
:28:06. > :28:13.for the job. And I don't think the Juncker team have forgotten that
:28:14. > :28:16.level of criticism. But they have put it to one side to get on with
:28:17. > :28:18.business. We are almost running out of time.
:28:19. > :28:21.There's just time to put you out of your misery, and give you
:28:22. > :28:29.All that rotting rubbish and the strikes should have been enough. It
:28:30. > :28:33.was also the year of the referendum on Scottish devolution, that was the
:28:34. > :28:41.one they lost, they won the 197, the Jeremy Thorpe trial, Stephen, you
:28:42. > :28:49.get to press the buzzer. And the winner
:28:50. > :28:53.The one o'clock news is starting over on BBC One now.
:28:54. > :28:57.I'm off to Scotland for a special This Week live from Edinburgh,
:28:58. > :29:00.then I'll stay in Auld Reekie for a Daily Politics special on Friday.
:29:01. > :29:03.But don't worry, I'll be back here at noon tomorrow with all the