09/03/2016

:00:36. > :00:38.Morning, folks, welcome to the Daily Politics.

:00:39. > :00:40.Junior doctors are back on strike in England this morning,

:00:41. > :00:46.More than 5,000 operations have been postponed because of the strike.

:00:47. > :00:50.But with no sign of the Government backing down over the new doctors'

:00:51. > :00:56.contract, where does the dispute go next?

:00:57. > :00:58.Could it be raised by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

:00:59. > :01:00.as he puts his questions to the Prime Minister?

:01:01. > :01:03.We'll bring you all the action from the Commons, live at noon.

:01:04. > :01:06.Government plans to extend Sunday trading hours in England and Wales

:01:07. > :01:10.may not pass, thanks to opposition from some Tories and the SNP.

:01:11. > :01:15.We've sent out Ellie with the moodbox.

:01:16. > :01:18.If they are open, people buy more, so we spend money, so it is not

:01:19. > :01:23.I was about to say - and it's not even Sunday.

:01:24. > :01:29.And we'll be talking about claims that a night of stand-up comedy

:01:30. > :01:39.aimed at helping Jeremy Corbyn isn't causing much of a laugh in Scotland.

:01:40. > :01:43.All that in the next hour and a half and with us for the whole

:01:44. > :01:45.of the programme today two MPs we'd pay good money

:01:46. > :01:49.No, I mean we'd pay them to sit down.

:01:50. > :01:51.It's the Conservative justice minister Dominic Raab,

:01:52. > :01:53.and Labour's shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood.

:01:54. > :01:58.Junior doctors in England are back on strike this morning,

:01:59. > :02:03.this time for the first of three 48-hour stoppages.

:02:04. > :02:06.It's the longest so far and more than 5,000 treatments have had to be

:02:07. > :02:08.postponed, but once again medics will be providing emergency

:02:09. > :02:14.It's all thanks to a dispute with the Government over

:02:15. > :02:20.its decision to impose a new contract for junior doctors.

:02:21. > :02:25.Let's have a listen to NHS England's Anne Rainsbury.

:02:26. > :02:28.Clearly there are a difficult number of days ahead for the NHS.

:02:29. > :02:30.We have been working very, very closely with

:02:31. > :02:33.hospitals up and down England, in order to ensure that they have

:02:34. > :02:39.It's important to be clear that urgent and emergency care

:02:40. > :02:42.will continue as normal, and therefore it is some planned

:02:43. > :02:48.And we're joined now by Dr Andrew Collier,

:02:49. > :02:51.he's a former co-chair of the British Medical Association's

:02:52. > :03:03.Welcome to the programme. I thought the next stage was that the junior

:03:04. > :03:07.doctors, if they did not get reconciliation, were going to

:03:08. > :03:14.withdraw accident cover but that are not doing that, why not? We would

:03:15. > :03:18.never do anything to place a patient at risk so the industrial action

:03:19. > :03:21.today and in the next two days will be completely safe. When we withdrew

:03:22. > :03:27.the plans for emergency cover we did not think our colleagues or patient

:03:28. > :03:32.Dexter would want that to happen so we've revised that in the light of

:03:33. > :03:38.public opinion. Even if the dispute progresses you will keep emergency

:03:39. > :03:42.cover? Completely. Nobody will do anything to put a patient at risk.

:03:43. > :03:45.Regrettably it is the only thing that hopefully will make the

:03:46. > :03:51.government and Jeremy Hunt listen to the concerns of doctors. I knew

:03:52. > :03:54.worrying that you want to get the governments attention? These

:03:55. > :04:01.disputes could drag on, the emergency cover could be there, and

:04:02. > :04:05.by and large it peters out? I've been dreadfully worried for three

:04:06. > :04:09.years about the safety of the NHS and junior doctors's contract,

:04:10. > :04:13.that's why we entered negotiations to improve things. We've seen some

:04:14. > :04:17.improvements to the contract, although not enough. The past few

:04:18. > :04:23.months we've been engaged in a game of hide and sick. Jeremy Hunt has

:04:24. > :04:30.been hiding. Where is he hiding, in a cupboard somewhere? When we tried

:04:31. > :04:34.to approach for a straight answer we can't get one. If at any just

:04:35. > :04:39.employers answering questions on Facebook, I think that demeans his

:04:40. > :04:45.position, the fact they did that, 260 questions, of which only 26 were

:04:46. > :04:54.answered, and is not forthcoming. Are any talks scheduled our door is

:04:55. > :04:59.open. I think talking is the way out of the dilemma. Bristol have time.

:05:00. > :05:04.These are some of the points in the deal. What they are going to impose,

:05:05. > :05:09.that's the way to describe it, no doctor will ever be rostered for two

:05:10. > :05:13.weekends in a row, maximum number of consecutive nights will be cut from

:05:14. > :05:18.seven to four, maximum hours worked the week cut from 91 to 72, that

:05:19. > :05:24.would seem to be the basis of an agreement? Certain elements of the

:05:25. > :05:28.contract proposed would be improvement, others are so toxic it

:05:29. > :05:32.is unacceptable. One of the things we've seen is the removal of

:05:33. > :05:36.independent oversight in the number of hours junior doctors work.

:05:37. > :05:40.Through our training we move between trusts and it's difficult to embed

:05:41. > :05:45.in the network of trusts. They currently have an independent system

:05:46. > :05:47.where hours are monitored. If a trust of works junior doctors, it's

:05:48. > :05:55.that kind of thing that worries them. It is time to sit down, talk

:05:56. > :06:00.and listen. If you got independent oversight reinstated would that

:06:01. > :06:04.change things? We need to look at the whole contract, it is committed,

:06:05. > :06:08.it would run to several hundred pages, it's about ironing out those

:06:09. > :06:13.details. When the door is shut on negotiations we can't I am out. It's

:06:14. > :06:17.time to talk. We would be more than happy to call off industrial action

:06:18. > :06:23.going forward if we could get those talks back going. Let's get

:06:24. > :06:26.background the table and talk. What if that doesn't happen, you head

:06:27. > :06:29.towards August when the deal is imposed, what will the junior

:06:30. > :06:36.doctors do, what is your legal position? They are dedicated to the

:06:37. > :06:42.NHS but we might see them move abroad. They already want him,

:06:43. > :06:45.stretching them Senate might push us beyond breaking point. We might see

:06:46. > :06:50.fewer people taking up critical specialities like accident and

:06:51. > :06:54.emergency, general practice, mental health, and if only a few doctors go

:06:55. > :07:00.abroad the sustainability of the system could crash down. That is

:07:01. > :07:04.what worries me. One part of the argument is what you will get paid

:07:05. > :07:08.on Saturday, I believe it is time plus the deepest and on Saturdays,

:07:09. > :07:14.even if you only work one Saturday a month? That's part of the agreement.

:07:15. > :07:20.People have tried to characterise this as a debate on pay. Pay is part

:07:21. > :07:25.of the concerns the junior doctors, in three years' time, it will drop.

:07:26. > :07:28.Yet it is about so much more to say it is about Saturday working is so

:07:29. > :07:32.wrong. I can see what the Tories want to do that because they are

:07:33. > :07:36.concerned they have made a non-funded election promise, they

:07:37. > :07:40.have said they will have seven-day working, within the existing budget.

:07:41. > :07:43.And when the public health accounts committee last week, questions were

:07:44. > :07:51.asked about where is the money for this, no answers were forthcoming.

:07:52. > :07:57.Thank you. Why is Jeremy Hunt hiding, Dominic? Why has that been

:07:58. > :08:01.closed? There's been plenty of talking over a protracted period, we

:08:02. > :08:07.have seen several thousand surgeries postpunk. I don't think that's

:08:08. > :08:11.right. We put in huge and extra investment, we have seen 10,000 new

:08:12. > :08:15.doctors in the NHS over the last Parliament, you've got to have a

:08:16. > :08:19.form as well, it can't just be a bottomless pit where you pour in

:08:20. > :08:24.more money. I think junior doctor changes will be good for patients,

:08:25. > :08:29.the medical director of the NHS, I also think it is a reasonable deal

:08:30. > :08:33.for doctors. It is not because the dispute is going on. My question is

:08:34. > :08:37.about how you break the logjam. It sounds as if Jeremy Hunt is not

:08:38. > :08:43.coming back for talks, could he be that should he be? I think it is

:08:44. > :08:48.reasonable for the doctors because it is a pay rise and the hours been

:08:49. > :08:52.cut. As for Saturdays they are only being asked to do the same as

:08:53. > :08:57.firefighters and police. When you get the stage where talks are being

:08:58. > :09:02.regarded as kicking it into the long grass, this is difficult, we don't

:09:03. > :09:06.want to fight people like and, we want to be on the side of doctors,

:09:07. > :09:14.and above all, on the side of patient Dexter. The exhaust Mori

:09:15. > :09:19.poll today blames the government entirely for the strike and a

:09:20. > :09:23.further 28% blame both side. In terms of whose side you are on, you

:09:24. > :09:30.have 85 of the public utter 85% of the public against you. The same

:09:31. > :09:35.poll also showed an increasing number of people opposed to the

:09:36. > :09:38.strike. They want you to resolve it. Your sentiment sounds as if you have

:09:39. > :09:44.reached the end of the road on talks. If you are outside watching

:09:45. > :09:49.this and in the private sector the idea that you could be held to

:09:50. > :09:53.ransom about contract is ridiculous. In the private sector we've always

:09:54. > :09:59.said about Saturday working, the same basic deal as the firefighters

:10:00. > :10:05.and the police. And not all of the doctors's representatives have been

:10:06. > :10:08.as reasonable as Andrew. We ought to have a proper debate based on the

:10:09. > :10:12.facts. Yet at the end of the day the government must take the decision,

:10:13. > :10:18.you can't have the NHS or the government held to ransom. That was

:10:19. > :10:25.something that was not true, Dominic said this would not happen in the

:10:26. > :10:29.private sector, is right. They would go elsewhere. We have a monopoly

:10:30. > :10:35.employer delivering free care at the point of delivery. We don't want

:10:36. > :10:42.doctors to go elsewhere, you said yourself they may go overseas. They

:10:43. > :10:48.will be driven overseas. The comparison with the private sector

:10:49. > :10:55.it is valid. Lilian, will you be on the picket line? I am concerned

:10:56. > :10:59.about the impact on hospitals, I know my local hospitals are already

:11:00. > :11:04.struggling to recruit doctors and nurses. Morale is at rock bottom.

:11:05. > :11:10.You don't back the seven-day service the government proposes? I agree

:11:11. > :11:14.there should be contract reform, everyone thinks that, yet you have

:11:15. > :11:20.to do that by talking and reaching agreement. Patients will lose out if

:11:21. > :11:26.we go overseas -- our doctors go overseas at the moment we struggling

:11:27. > :11:29.to recruit. Would you give the junior doctors what they are asking

:11:30. > :11:38.for, like the Independent oversight and the Saturday clauses? I would

:11:39. > :11:42.talk. The only way this will be resolved will be about that getting

:11:43. > :11:47.around the table. Progress has been made on some points, not others. I'm

:11:48. > :11:51.not going to be on the picket line because I'm discussing this year. I

:11:52. > :11:56.completely understand the anger of junior doctors. And it is clear that

:11:57. > :11:59.the public to. This dispute, like all of them, will only be resolved

:12:00. > :12:03.when people get around the negotiating table. Thank you.

:12:04. > :12:06.And you can find out more about the junior doctors' strike

:12:07. > :12:09.in England and the background to the dispite on the BBC's special

:12:10. > :12:10.report page www.bbc.co.uk/juniordoctors.

:12:11. > :12:13.Now, we've seen some high-profile figures weigh in to the referendum

:12:14. > :12:22.Not least, according to this morning's Sun, the Queen.

:12:23. > :12:30.One of our favourite viewers of the programme, so we say Hi, tell us of

:12:31. > :12:32.the Sun was accurate or not, I have my doubts!

:12:33. > :12:37.The paper declares that Her Majesty backs Brexit -

:12:38. > :12:40.this is based on unnamed sources, naturally, who were present

:12:41. > :12:44.when she was said to have told Nick Clegg she believed the EU

:12:45. > :12:47.Buckingham Palace says she remains entirely neutral.

:12:48. > :12:50.Yesterday's big intervention was from Bank of England Governor

:12:51. > :12:52.Mark Carney, who incurred the wrath of Leave campaigners

:12:53. > :12:55.when he described exit from the EU as the "biggest domestic risk"

:12:56. > :13:00.He also, however, acknowledged that there were risks

:13:01. > :13:06.So, as a public service, which of course is why we get out

:13:07. > :13:09.of bed in the morning, we thought we'd look at some

:13:10. > :13:11.of the main possible risks on both sides.

:13:12. > :13:16.Yes, as we speed down the road towards the EU referendum on June

:13:17. > :13:19.23rd, voters will be keeping an eye out for the possible dangers

:13:20. > :13:26.If we leave the EU, the central warning from 'in' campaigners

:13:27. > :13:29.is that it could be harder to trade with other EU countries,

:13:30. > :13:31.which could hit exports, damage the economy and put

:13:32. > :13:39.But Leave campaigners say staying in will prevent Britain

:13:40. > :13:44.making its own trade deals with major emerging economies,

:13:45. > :13:48.instead, tying British businesses to a shrinking European market.

:13:49. > :13:51.When it comes to security, those arguing for an in vote say

:13:52. > :13:54.that leaving the EU would mean leaving the European Arrest Warrant

:13:55. > :13:58.and Europol, both of which they say help fight crime and terrorism.

:13:59. > :14:01.Leave campaigners say staying in means there's little chance

:14:02. > :14:07.of cutting net migration, currently at 323,000 -

:14:08. > :14:10.more than half of which comes from the EU.

:14:11. > :14:13.Renewed talk of Turkey joining the union will only add to that

:14:14. > :14:18.Could prices of food and other goods rise if we vote to leave?

:14:19. > :14:21.That's the claim that's been put by the in campaign,

:14:22. > :14:26.which says import tariffs could add to the burden on households.

:14:27. > :14:29.While those backing Brexit say that staying in means Britain

:14:30. > :14:33.being dragged into inevitable further EU integration -

:14:34. > :14:36.which could, they claim, mean paying into another Eurozone

:14:37. > :14:40.bailout and even the creation of an EU army.

:14:41. > :14:46.So those are some of the main risks as viewed by both sides

:14:47. > :15:04.We are indeed. Lilian Greenwood, the biggest risk of staying in?

:15:05. > :15:10.I think the main risks are associated with the leaving. I will

:15:11. > :15:15.come onto that in a minute. Are you saying there are no risks to staying

:15:16. > :15:20.in? We know where we are if we stay in. We have been members of the

:15:21. > :15:23.European union for decades. If there are changes coming down the road, we

:15:24. > :15:30.have an opportunity to influence those. No risks? There are risks

:15:31. > :15:34.facing us as a country, as there are to the European Union as whole. I

:15:35. > :15:39.don't think they are associated to staying in. What is the biggest risk

:15:40. > :15:43.of coming out? The biggest argument you hear from the remaining campaign

:15:44. > :15:47.is the short-term instability, but people said that about the

:15:48. > :15:52.referendum. Last year we rose to having the third highest foreign

:15:53. > :15:57.investment in the world. Is there a risk? There are risks on both sides

:15:58. > :16:01.and I think Mark Carney tried to set out the balance of risks on both

:16:02. > :16:05.sides. I think the most important thing he said about staying in is he

:16:06. > :16:11.said he thought it was more likely than not that the European Union

:16:12. > :16:15.would go for international frisking banking union. If that is a case,

:16:16. > :16:18.how does Greece get out of the rut? How does Italy not fall into

:16:19. > :16:25.question mark it sounds like an EU in a state of crisis. You accept

:16:26. > :16:29.there could be short-term risks? Short-term disruption, if we vote to

:16:30. > :16:35.leave? I think there are pros and cons for both positions. It was a

:16:36. > :16:41.simple and straightforward question. If I say there is a certain risk,

:16:42. > :16:45.press conferences will go out saying the game is up. There are pros and

:16:46. > :16:51.cons for both ways. I think the brighter prospects for the UK are

:16:52. > :16:55.having less burden on SN Es. Small and medium-sized businesses. And

:16:56. > :17:04.funnily enough Mark Carney said that yesterday. There was nothing to stop

:17:05. > :17:12.us trading now. There is, the EU has strict confidence over those deals.

:17:13. > :17:17.We still trade, China Germany trade a lot more with China than we do.

:17:18. > :17:21.But we are under a protectionist umbrella. Was the governor not

:17:22. > :17:28.within his rights to assess what the risks were of leaving? That is the

:17:29. > :17:32.job of our central banker, isn't it? He has to be careful, as does the

:17:33. > :17:38.Queen, about being drawn into the politics of it. The Queen is just a

:17:39. > :17:43.newspaper story. The governor was on the record yesterday. You are not

:17:44. > :17:47.saying the Queen is in favour of Brexit? I love to Nick Clegg's

:17:48. > :17:50.comment about having no recollection. He sounded like a

:17:51. > :17:56.shoplifter outside Woolworths full of pockets of Mars bars. Was the

:17:57. > :18:03.governor right? A fair laying out of the risks on certain courses of

:18:04. > :18:07.action that is what they are asked to do? I will not quibble about what

:18:08. > :18:11.he did. I felt personally reading the media reports that they had not

:18:12. > :18:16.picked up on the serious downsides of staying in, particularly this

:18:17. > :18:23.issue of the Eurozone not reforming. He said chances are the Eurozone

:18:24. > :18:28.will not proceed to that. How do you get grease out of the rut? Most of

:18:29. > :18:36.the action, if we stay in, will be in the Eurozone. If there is future

:18:37. > :18:40.integration, which is the wish of some leaders, isn't that a risks are

:18:41. > :18:45.staying in? They could agree things that will not be in our interests?

:18:46. > :18:52.We need to be part of the negotiations in the EU. But we

:18:53. > :18:56.aren't? We have chosen to stay out of the Eurozone and that is a

:18:57. > :19:03.decision we are happy with. My point is this, my point is if we stay in

:19:04. > :19:07.and vote to remain, there could well be the five presidents report could

:19:08. > :19:11.be implemented. The governor could be wrong and the Eurozone could go

:19:12. > :19:16.too much closer fiscal and monetary union. It could decide things not in

:19:17. > :19:22.our interest, and we are no longer in the Eurozone so we could be

:19:23. > :19:25.outvoted. There are risks associated with the remaining, discussions that

:19:26. > :19:32.might happen within Europe. Use it only are there were not? I said we

:19:33. > :19:36.were better off being part of the EU and influencing the future direction

:19:37. > :19:40.of Europe than sitting on the outside and all the uncertainties

:19:41. > :19:43.about leaving. One of the risks of leaving is we do not know what our

:19:44. > :19:50.relationship will be with the single market. It was interesting at the

:19:51. > :19:53.weekend that both Iris Johnson, pro-Brexit, and Douglas Carswell,

:19:54. > :19:57.started to talk about maybe we should try to negotiate a free trade

:19:58. > :20:02.agreement with Europe. -- Boris Johnson. Rather than a full single

:20:03. > :20:06.market agreement. That is a risk. A free trade agreement is nowhere near

:20:07. > :20:10.as open as a single market agreement. If you look at the single

:20:11. > :20:15.market it includes all the social... They talk about social justice and

:20:16. > :20:19.policing. You talk to a bureaucrat in Brussels and they save you want

:20:20. > :20:23.to be in the single market, you need to be in everything. There is a

:20:24. > :20:29.Swiss, Norwegian, Turkish option. Britain's economy is bigger than all

:20:30. > :20:35.of those combined. I don't think it is unreasonable to say we want a

:20:36. > :20:38.bespoke deal for Britain. We have sold ?59 million more. We have a

:20:39. > :20:42.neutral interest in that. It is a risk and we don't know what the mood

:20:43. > :20:46.of the rest of the European Union would be if we vote to get out.

:20:47. > :20:52.There will be people saying we cannot offer the Brits are good deal

:20:53. > :20:57.otherwise others will want it. Do we think given the trade deficit we

:20:58. > :20:59.have with the EU that German manufacturers, French farmers and

:21:00. > :21:05.pharmaceutical firms will be so vindictive they will hit their own

:21:06. > :21:08.pockets by hitting such rigid trade barriers that we have the impact

:21:09. > :21:16.your talking about. We could have tariffs. Is that a savoury argument

:21:17. > :21:20.for the in campaign to use? What about British expats abroad if we

:21:21. > :21:25.vote to leave? That will be subject to negotiation but I'm sure we would

:21:26. > :21:28.come to a sensible, mutual understanding, allowing people who

:21:29. > :21:32.have been there for a certain period of time to stay. I think we should

:21:33. > :21:37.do the same here. We don't know that? You don't know anything

:21:38. > :21:40.because you cannot engage in the Brexit negotiations... We will not

:21:41. > :21:47.have the verdict from the British public... Would all EU citizens of

:21:48. > :21:54.this country continue on the same basis? That would have to be subject

:21:55. > :21:56.to negotiation. Not to set up silly hostages to fortune in advance,

:21:57. > :22:00.which is what you're trying to get me to do. I'm tried to clarify the

:22:01. > :22:04.issue so people can make up their mind how to vote. Many viewers

:22:05. > :22:10.abroad will be watching in Spain, France and Italy. They will like to

:22:11. > :22:14.know what their status would be. I can't give you an answer because the

:22:15. > :22:18.EU could not give you an answer until used adding that negotiation.

:22:19. > :22:21.Everything is a risk. Mark Carney set out the risk of caucusing from

:22:22. > :22:26.the Eurozone against financial services. It ought about the fact

:22:27. > :22:32.more likely than not there would be no reforming the Eurozone. We have

:22:33. > :22:36.talked about that. Isn't there a risk if Turkey joined the European

:22:37. > :22:40.Union? The clearest risk from what we had Dominic say is he would like

:22:41. > :22:45.to leave the EU and scrap some of the workplace rights that have come

:22:46. > :22:53.from the EU. I think people in the UK worried about jobs would be

:22:54. > :22:59.worried about those. What I am asking is, do you regard it as a

:23:00. > :23:04.risk that if we stay, that Turkey may become is a member of the EU? Of

:23:05. > :23:08.course there is the potential for further countries to join the

:23:09. > :23:13.European Union. We would be part of those discussions, as we have been.

:23:14. > :23:17.Would you be favour of Turkey joining the European Union? I very

:23:18. > :23:21.much welcome the discussions happening with Turkey about issues

:23:22. > :23:26.that affect us in Europe, like migration. That is not why are

:23:27. > :23:34.asked. Is it your party's policy all your personal view that you would be

:23:35. > :23:37.in favour of Turkey joining the European Union? I think we need to

:23:38. > :23:39.have in our discussions with Turkey, discussions about our shared values.

:23:40. > :23:42.There are concerns about human rights in Turkey that would have to

:23:43. > :23:47.be dealt with before there could be a question of them joining the EU.

:23:48. > :23:51.You don't see it happening in the full sable future? I don't think it

:23:52. > :23:55.could happen until those issues are discussed and addressed. One of the

:23:56. > :24:00.consequences of the Visa liberalisation deal is only, as far

:24:01. > :24:07.as we can see, it refers to the Schengen area. We will not be

:24:08. > :24:11.obliged to respect the liberalisation for Turkey? I think

:24:12. > :24:14.there is huge pressure to reform the whole way the EU rules on free

:24:15. > :24:18.movement work, as a result of the appalling scenes we are singing

:24:19. > :24:23.Greece and in relation to Turkey. But if you want to have a proper

:24:24. > :24:27.public confidence in border controls, you cannot do that from

:24:28. > :24:33.within the European Union. The short answer to our question about Turkey

:24:34. > :24:38.is I don't think we could engage, accept Turkey to be a member under

:24:39. > :24:45.the current rules. We would have a veto. Every country has one. I think

:24:46. > :24:50.that may be true. That is true. But there would be huge pressure on the

:24:51. > :24:56.UK to back down. We've had that in relation to all of the... Inside the

:24:57. > :25:00.EU you accept although Angela Merkel is trying to do a deal that would

:25:01. > :25:05.give Visa free travel throughout the Schengen area, that would not cover

:25:06. > :25:08.us because we are outside that? Look at the pressures we are already

:25:09. > :25:11.facing because of our current arrangements and free movement rules

:25:12. > :25:16.we have signed up to. That is the basic problem. You talk about a

:25:17. > :25:21.Norwegian model and Norway has to sign up to it. I'd said there are a

:25:22. > :25:25.whole range of models and because our economy is bigger than those we

:25:26. > :25:27.are in a pretty good negotiating position. Let's move on.

:25:28. > :25:30.Now, it's been a chilly week, and here at the Daily Politics,

:25:31. > :25:33.we like to think MPs are staying warm as they travel

:25:34. > :25:36.That's why our guests of the day arrived in stretch limousines

:25:37. > :25:42.They were on an away day yesterday to Dagenham,

:25:43. > :25:45.Here they all are travelling in a minibus together -

:25:46. > :25:49.and don't they look like they're having a jolly day out?

:25:50. > :25:55.And as they've all kept their coats and scarves on, we can only assume

:25:56. > :25:59.What they needed of course was a nice hot drink to warm up.

:26:00. > :26:03.And what better way to enjoy it than in a Daily Politics mug?

:26:04. > :26:05.There - don't they look much happier already?

:26:06. > :26:13.Now in a minute Lillian can explain why Jeremy Corbyn

:26:14. > :26:15.and John McDonnell weren't in the minibus too, but first,

:26:16. > :26:18.if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning your own mug,

:26:19. > :26:31.MUSIC: Really Sayin' Something by Bananarama

:26:32. > :26:34.Whatever the result, we believe he's going to have a really big future

:26:35. > :26:51.MUSIC: Music and Lights by Imagination

:26:52. > :27:00.MUSIC: Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor

:27:01. > :27:03.I'm getting pretty old, but this is the first time I've had

:27:04. > :27:08.into the middle of the Sahara Desert.

:27:09. > :27:25.MUSIC: Just An Illusion by Imagination

:27:26. > :27:51.MUSIC: Love Come Down by Evelyn "Champagne" King

:27:52. > :27:54.To be in with a chance of winning a Daily Politics mug,

:27:55. > :27:57.send your answer to our special quiz e-mail address -

:27:58. > :28:02.Entries must arrive by 12.30pm today, and you can see the full

:28:03. > :28:05.terms and conditions for Guess The Year on our website -

:28:06. > :28:14.It's coming up to midday here, just take a look at Big Ben,

:28:15. > :28:20.Yes, Prime Minister's Questions is on its way.

:28:21. > :28:23.And that's not all - The Guardian's Nick Watt is here.

:28:24. > :28:33.Good to see you. What do you think Mr Corbyn's strategy will be today?

:28:34. > :28:37.I know he feels pretty uncomfortable about the deal on migrants, so maybe

:28:38. > :28:41.he will talk about that. But one week away from the budget. The

:28:42. > :28:45.economic figures, those tax receipts are looking pretty bad, so that

:28:46. > :28:49.might be quite a tempting target for Jeremy Corbyn. George Osborne has

:28:50. > :28:54.worried he had to move his surplus target back by one year, that is

:28:55. > :29:00.what he did in July's budget. As I understand from senior Whitehall

:29:01. > :29:04.sources, the surplus EU is trying to achieve by 2019-20 is looking really

:29:05. > :29:10.bad and possibly minus figures. So maybe the economy. There is very

:29:11. > :29:15.little the Prime Minister can say about the budget this side of the

:29:16. > :29:20.Chancellor delivering the budget. But the Turkish deal negotiated by

:29:21. > :29:24.Angela Merkel with the Dutch Prime Minister in tow, and no one else,

:29:25. > :29:28.not even double task or Francois Hollande was involved, it does

:29:29. > :29:32.involve spending British money and the forcible removal of migrants

:29:33. > :29:38.from Greece back to Turkey. It is not clear if that can be done. It is

:29:39. > :29:40.not clear if it is legal. Surely the Leader of the Opposition, wants to

:29:41. > :29:45.hold government to account on a major issue, this has to be what he

:29:46. > :29:48.goes for. I know he does feel strongly about this and I think of

:29:49. > :29:52.particular interest to Jeremy Corbyn is the UN are saying, look, this

:29:53. > :29:58.goes against basic rules. You cannot force a plea remove people. How do

:29:59. > :30:04.they do it anyway? Exactly. For Angela Merkel in the dead of night

:30:05. > :30:08.to agree with the... She is reaching a bilateral deal with him but cannot

:30:09. > :30:12.get it past the 28 members of the European Union just yet. Just at the

:30:13. > :30:17.time Ankara is closing opposition newspapers, it is fertile territory

:30:18. > :30:20.for Jeremy Corbyn. But we are all week away from the budget and the

:30:21. > :30:23.economic picture is not looking quite as good as they did at the

:30:24. > :30:28.time of the Autumn Statement in November, so that might be territory

:30:29. > :30:34.for him. He may be surprises us all by talking about something we

:30:35. > :30:38.haven't talked about. We talk about Kennedy's first 100 days, but today

:30:39. > :30:45.is Jeremy Corbyn's 100th question. Only you would know that!

:30:46. > :30:52.I did as well. I read it in the Independent. I thought they were

:30:53. > :31:00.closing it. No, alive and kicking as a newspaper for a few days and then

:31:01. > :31:06.online. Very good! Which questioned today will be the 100th question?

:31:07. > :31:15.That is... Andrew, there is the mathematician. It is the fourth. You

:31:16. > :31:19.did know. All of sorts talk inside the Parliamentary Labour Party about

:31:20. > :31:23.Mr Corbyn. It died down for a while and has led back up again. Jeremy

:31:24. > :31:27.Corbyn does not have the confidence of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

:31:28. > :31:33.Some ultras would like him out immediately and talk about having an

:31:34. > :31:37.Australia strategy. A convict! These are the leadership spills you have

:31:38. > :31:43.had in labour and of the Liberal party in Australia that got rid of

:31:44. > :31:47.Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott. Essentially what one former minister

:31:48. > :31:50.said to me, and it is quite brutal language, is we have to keep on

:31:51. > :31:55.shooting him until he goes. That is what the ultras are saying. More

:31:56. > :31:59.mainstream people are saying he got 59.7% of the vote in the party

:32:00. > :32:04.membership. That vote, if anything, is going up. If you try and move

:32:05. > :32:07.against him you will embolden those people, him and undermine what you

:32:08. > :32:11.are trying to do. Now over to the House of

:32:12. > :32:20.The Prime Minister. Thank you Mr Speaker. This morning I had meetings

:32:21. > :32:27.with my colleagues and I shall have further such meetings today. People

:32:28. > :32:33.in Bristol South look forward to the promised Chef apprenticeships yet

:32:34. > :32:37.question how this will happen on the eve of National Apprenticeship Week,

:32:38. > :32:43.does the Prime Minister have a delivery plan or is he making it up

:32:44. > :32:48.as he goes along? We achieved 2 million in the last Parliament, we

:32:49. > :32:52.are confident of achieving 3 million in this Parliament. We have a

:32:53. > :32:55.delivery plan, based on large companies continuing with their

:32:56. > :32:59.plans for apprenticeships. We want small companies to do more and the

:33:00. > :33:04.public sector to join in with larger plans and we regularly review

:33:05. > :33:12.progress towards the target. James Berry. Mr Speaker, many of my

:33:13. > :33:16.constituents get the train to central London every day for work

:33:17. > :33:22.and are concerned about terrorist threats posed by Daesh in the

:33:23. > :33:25.capital. Can my friend Mike update the House on progress made on

:33:26. > :33:33.tackling the source of that threat in Iraq and Syria? --, honourable

:33:34. > :33:36.friend update the House? It was very striking what is this and

:33:37. > :33:41.Commissioner Mark Rowley said last week about the dangers we face.

:33:42. > :33:45.Domestically we are protecting counterterrorism policing and

:33:46. > :33:49.investing in counterintelligence and securities abuses as we did in the

:33:50. > :33:53.last element, we are making good progress and pushing Daesh backs

:33:54. > :33:58.this is something we need to do domestic league and overseas. I was

:33:59. > :34:03.appalled to see yesterday that the Labour Party has readmitted Somerby

:34:04. > :34:07.to their party who says that the 9/11 suicide bombers must never be

:34:08. > :34:12.condemned, and belongs to an organisation that says that we

:34:13. > :34:17.defend Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Appalling views and I hope the

:34:18. > :34:25.Leader of the Opposition will throw the person out of the party instead

:34:26. > :34:29.of welcoming him in. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker. I hope the Prime

:34:30. > :34:33.Minister will join me in morning of the death today of the fifth Beatle,

:34:34. > :34:39.George Martin, and the wonderful music that will last for time that

:34:40. > :34:44.he gave us. Last week the Prime Minister told the house we had a

:34:45. > :34:51.strong economy with a sound plan. If the economy is so strong, why this

:34:52. > :34:54.week has he forced through a ?30 per week cut, hitting some of the

:34:55. > :35:01.poorest disabled people in the country? First let me join him in

:35:02. > :35:05.what he said about George Martin, he was a massive figure, a giant in

:35:06. > :35:09.popular music and responsible for some tunes that will live for ever

:35:10. > :35:14.more. I'm only disappointed that he can't comment on my earlier point.

:35:15. > :35:18.It seems to me that we have a responsibility as party leaders for

:35:19. > :35:23.our own parties. He asked about the strength of the economy. We do face

:35:24. > :35:26.an uncertain international environment and all the experts warn

:35:27. > :35:33.of the danger we face. Yet today we have zero inflation percent, our

:35:34. > :35:38.economy is growing, which is growing and we cut the taxes that people are

:35:39. > :35:43.paying. That, combined with reforming welfare, and we are doing

:35:44. > :35:46.that, is the way to get the deficit down, continue with growth and help

:35:47. > :35:55.deliver for working people in Britain. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker I

:35:56. > :35:59.do not believe that the majority of people in this country are content

:36:00. > :36:03.to see someone diagnosed with cancer today and unable to work next year,

:36:04. > :36:08.reduced to poverty because of the cuts this government is putting

:36:09. > :36:13.through. The Chancellor has found another ?6.6 billion to reduce

:36:14. > :36:16.corporation tax and big business. Despite our corporation tax already

:36:17. > :36:23.being lower than any other G7 nation. Today action for children,

:36:24. > :36:26.the Children's Society, the National children's bureau, shows local

:36:27. > :36:31.authority spending on children and young people has been cut by ?2

:36:32. > :36:40.billion, 71%. Does this not show a wrong choice by the pro-minister?

:36:41. > :36:44.Let's look at what has happened to corporation tax receipts since we

:36:45. > :36:47.cut corporation tax. That's the question because the point of

:36:48. > :36:52.setting tax rates is to raise money rather than make a political point.

:36:53. > :36:58.And the fact is that corporation tax receipts are up by 20% under this

:36:59. > :37:03.government so we have more money to spend on children, and children's

:37:04. > :37:07.services, on education. Whereas if we put up tax rates as reasons to be

:37:08. > :37:13.suggesting we would get less money in. That's the result, they care

:37:14. > :37:18.about making a political point, we care about raising revenue and

:37:19. > :37:22.providing good services. I asked, if there's more money available to be

:37:23. > :37:27.spent on children's services why are there half a million more children

:37:28. > :37:31.in poverty in Britain because of the policies of his government? If we

:37:32. > :37:36.really have the strong economy the Prime Minister claims, why did

:37:37. > :37:49.Chancellor warned last week and I quote, we may need to make further

:37:50. > :37:54.reductions? Who will they fall on, young people, women? Will he rule

:37:55. > :37:59.out attacking those groups? He will see the Budget next week when my

:38:00. > :38:03.right honourable friend who has an excellent record of steering the

:38:04. > :38:09.economy stands and to deliver it. About those remarks on poverty let

:38:10. > :38:15.me say what has happened since 2010. There are 680,000 who were workless

:38:16. > :38:17.households. Think what that means. 80,000 households where someone is

:38:18. > :38:23.bringing home a wage, putting food on the table and paying less taxes.

:38:24. > :38:39.There are 40,000 fewer households where no member has ever worked and

:38:40. > :38:45.480,000 fewer, that is about tackling poverty, all things never

:38:46. > :38:50.delivered by Labour. Mr Speaker, the problem is the number of households

:38:51. > :38:53.suffering from in work poverty because of the insecure jobs,

:38:54. > :38:59.because of zero hours contracts, because of low wages. As he well

:39:00. > :39:06.knows, the poorest have paid the most for the cuts and women have

:39:07. > :39:11.paid for 81% of those cuts. Mr Speaker, on 99 previous attempts to

:39:12. > :39:14.ask questions to the Prime Minister, I have been unclear or dissatisfied

:39:15. > :39:25.by the answers, as indeed have many other people! So, on this auspicious

:39:26. > :39:31.100th occasion, can I ask the Prime Minister to help a young man named

:39:32. > :39:34.Cal. Last week the Prime Minister told the engineering employers

:39:35. > :39:39.Federation that we have a skills shortage. A good admission. Callum

:39:40. > :39:46.as a bright young man, wanting to make his way in the world and he

:39:47. > :39:50.says,... Well, maybe the Prime Minister does as well... Will the

:39:51. > :39:54.government acknowledged the importance of sixth form colleges

:39:55. > :40:03.and post-16 education services in Britain? Let me congratulate the

:40:04. > :40:07.honourable gentleman on getting to 100 not out, that will be welcomed

:40:08. > :40:12.across the House. What I would say to Callum is what we are introducing

:40:13. > :40:17.is a situation where we and cap university places so as many people

:40:18. > :40:20.who want to go can go and we will introduce in this Parliament 3

:40:21. > :40:24.million apprentices. That combined with better funded sixth forms and

:40:25. > :40:29.further education colleges means we've got a proper education system

:40:30. > :40:41.that can really drive opportunity in this country. Let me come back once

:40:42. > :40:44.more and child poverty, let me give him the figures. 800,000 fewer

:40:45. > :40:46.people in relative poverty than 2010. 300,000 fewer children in

:40:47. > :40:49.relative poverty in 2010. That is the Labour measurement used so when

:40:50. > :40:54.he gets to did this batch proxy can tell us that he was wrong about

:40:55. > :40:59.child poverty. -- when he gets to this dispatch box. The prime

:41:00. > :41:04.ministers seems to be answering the last question but one. If I could

:41:05. > :41:09.bring him back to the question from Callum, and point out that there has

:41:10. > :41:14.been a 10% cut in real terms in sixth form and further education and

:41:15. > :41:20.adult education has been cut by 35% during his time as Prime Minister,

:41:21. > :41:23.the construction output in Britain has shrunk for two consecutive

:41:24. > :41:30.quarters now. Surely this is a matter of concern? Is this not a

:41:31. > :41:35.sign that this economic recovery has been constructed on sand? Let me

:41:36. > :41:38.first confirmed that we have protected 16-18 education in this

:41:39. > :41:44.spending round. He talks about construction. We want to see every

:41:45. > :41:48.part of our economy growing and it is, unlike so many in what is a

:41:49. > :41:52.difficult and dangerous world right now. Yet if you look at our

:41:53. > :41:58.construction plans because we have a strong economy we can commit to HS2,

:41:59. > :42:02.the biggest road programme since the 1970s, the largest rail programme

:42:03. > :42:06.since Victorian times and together with huge infrastructure projects in

:42:07. > :42:11.energy and other areas. Those things are only possible because we have a

:42:12. > :42:16.strong and growing economy. We know what Labour would do. His spending

:42:17. > :42:19.plans are a risk to the nation 's finances, his tax plans a risk to

:42:20. > :42:24.every family in the country and we know what he wants which is to put

:42:25. > :42:30.up taxes on people earning over ?20,000, that's the plan and it

:42:31. > :42:34.would wreck this country's finances. Mr Speaker we have the construction

:42:35. > :42:37.industry in recession at a time when there is an acute need for new

:42:38. > :42:46.housing. Construction apprenticeships have fallen by 11%

:42:47. > :42:52.since 2010. We have the lowest rate of house building since the 1920s,

:42:53. > :42:58.almost 100 years ago. Will the Prime Minister look again at this issue,

:42:59. > :42:58.stop the cuts to skills training and the cuts to investment

:42:59. > :43:05.that are holding back this country, holding back the skill ambitions of

:43:06. > :43:12.so many young people and invest in them and invest in our future. I

:43:13. > :43:17.have to pick up the right honourable gentleman on his statistics because

:43:18. > :43:20.we have seen a massive boost to apprenticeships and apprenticeship

:43:21. > :43:25.funding under this government, 2 million in the last Parliament, 3

:43:26. > :43:30.million in this one. House-building under Labour fell by 45% and has

:43:31. > :43:36.since increased by two thirds, over 7000 new homes delivered since 2010

:43:37. > :43:41.and now completions our up, housing starts at the highest level since

:43:42. > :43:47.2007, lasted, they nearly doubled the low point of 2009. They wrecked

:43:48. > :43:50.the economy, created that instability, we have been building a

:43:51. > :43:58.strong economy and that is what we have to stick with. Mark Spencer.

:43:59. > :44:03.Thank you. Unemployment in Sherwood has halved since 2010. Given that

:44:04. > :44:07.the Chancellor will make his budget statement next week can the Prime

:44:08. > :44:12.Minister assure the House you will continue to support education and

:44:13. > :44:18.support to get to jobs that is maintaining the Conservative lot of

:44:19. > :44:21.aspiration? My honourable friend is right, the school improvement

:44:22. > :44:25.programme we are driving forward combined with an capping university

:44:26. > :44:29.places and investing in apprenticeships is giving people a

:44:30. > :44:32.ladder of opportunity to make the most of their lives and the most of

:44:33. > :44:36.the aplomb and opportunities clearly created in this country where there

:44:37. > :44:40.are 2 million more people in work. I know he has a particular interest in

:44:41. > :44:44.his constituency, and extending the Robin Hood line and is meeting with

:44:45. > :44:51.ministers to deliver this. Just the sort of infrastructure project this

:44:52. > :44:55.government wants to get behind. Angus Robertson. Mr Speaker, the

:44:56. > :45:01.refugee crisis is the biggest issue facing governments across Europe. Is

:45:02. > :45:04.the Prime Minister ashamed that any UK Government programme, we now know

:45:05. > :45:09.that in Folkestone trafficking victims were locked up without food,

:45:10. > :45:13.asylum seeking children were forced to sleep on concrete floors,

:45:14. > :45:19.patients with diarrhoea denied access to showers and a naked woman

:45:20. > :45:20.was allegedly beaten at a detention centre. As the Prime Minister

:45:21. > :45:30.ashamed of this? I would say that our asylum system

:45:31. > :45:34.is fair and Britain, down the ages, has given people asylum who are

:45:35. > :45:39.fleeing persecution and torture. When it comes to the issue of

:45:40. > :45:43.resettling Syrian refugees, it was instructed at this week's European

:45:44. > :45:47.Council with a chart showing how many countries have actually be

:45:48. > :45:51.settled Syrian refugees, Britain has done far better than any other

:45:52. > :46:00.country except Germany. Angus Robertson. This week the Scottish

:46:01. > :46:02.refugee Council called for an investigation into how asylum

:46:03. > :46:07.seekers are treated and housed in Glasgow. They want the Home Office

:46:08. > :46:16.to commission an independent inquiry into claims of substandard housing

:46:17. > :46:20.and deep -- dehumanising treatment by his government. Will he

:46:21. > :46:26.commission that investigation? We are very happy for these issues

:46:27. > :46:28.to be properly investigated. The home affairs select committee on

:46:29. > :46:34.this House of Commons has done a report into the way asylum, housing

:46:35. > :46:38.is commission. If the Scottish Parliament wants to carry out those

:46:39. > :46:43.investigations, of course the United Kingdom government will cooperate.

:46:44. > :46:46.We need to make sure when we take people in they are properly housed,

:46:47. > :46:51.look after, their children at school, because that is the sort of

:46:52. > :46:58.generous country we are. Mr Stevenson.

:46:59. > :47:02.Thank you Mr Speaker. I welcome the Government's excellent initiative to

:47:03. > :47:08.encourage employers to hire ex-offenders. Speaking as someone

:47:09. > :47:14.who employs an ex-offender by the excellent working chance charity,

:47:15. > :47:18.good the Prime Minister sure the House that implies in the public,

:47:19. > :47:23.private and voluntary sectors play their part in providing excellent

:47:24. > :47:28.opportunities? I agree with my friend and agree

:47:29. > :47:32.with what he has done. If people are applying for a job, they have two at

:47:33. > :47:36.some stage declared the criminal record they have on the offences

:47:37. > :47:40.they may have committed. The question is do they have to do it

:47:41. > :47:47.absolutely at the CVE stage? We believe they shouldn't. This level

:47:48. > :47:50.-- civil service will do this. You might at least get the chance of an

:47:51. > :47:54.interview so you are not ruled out. That is what we talk about. When we

:47:55. > :47:58.talk about life chances for people in our country and giving people

:47:59. > :48:02.sometimes a second chance to have a go at their life, we are putting our

:48:03. > :48:08.money where our mouth is. If the British people vote to leave

:48:09. > :48:09.the European Union, will the Prime Minister resign, yes or no?

:48:10. > :48:27.No. It is very much to the Government

:48:28. > :48:32.must back credit that over 2 million jobs have been created since 2010.

:48:33. > :48:38.-- government's credit. But nearly 1 million have gone to non-UK EU

:48:39. > :48:43.nationals. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the EU's free

:48:44. > :48:48.movement of people is damaging UK nationals implement prospects and

:48:49. > :48:56.contributing to the people still unemployed and has not been

:48:57. > :49:00.compensated for by jobs in other countries the European nationals.

:49:01. > :49:05.If you look at the figures over the last five years two thirds of the

:49:06. > :49:08.rise of employment over the last five years has been made up by jobs

:49:09. > :49:14.going to British people. Where I would agree with her is in

:49:15. > :49:18.combination with the welfare reform we have introduced for EU citizens

:49:19. > :49:24.and the tougher control on migration from outside the EU, we should see

:49:25. > :49:28.while fair reform in the UK as the flip side of migration control. We

:49:29. > :49:33.want to make sure it always pays for British people to train up and do

:49:34. > :49:35.the jobs available. We should see immigration control and welfare

:49:36. > :49:41.reform as a way of getting more of our people into work.

:49:42. > :49:45.Thank you Mr Speaker. Does the Prime Minister agree with me it is very

:49:46. > :49:50.important we make the positive case for Britain remaining in the EU?

:49:51. > :49:55.Each of us get ?1200 back for every ?120 we get back, we have lower

:49:56. > :50:02.prices and choice in shops and easier travelling for holidays and

:50:03. > :50:06.businesses. Can the Prime Minister explained how our membership of the

:50:07. > :50:09.EU impact so many aspects of our lives?

:50:10. > :50:13.The honourable lady makes an important point. In all the

:50:14. > :50:16.arguments about single markets and sovereignty we can sometimes lose

:50:17. > :50:21.some of the simple consumer benefits of being a member of the European

:50:22. > :50:25.Union. The things she mentioned about cheap air travel, ease of

:50:26. > :50:29.travel, not having any tariffs, these are things we take for granted

:50:30. > :50:33.now, but simply weren't the case 40 years ago. That is a strong part of

:50:34. > :50:38.the very positive case we should make the remaining in the EU. But

:50:39. > :50:42.with her own constituency in mind I also think we should point of the

:50:43. > :50:47.enormous success of the British car industry, which now employs and is

:50:48. > :50:51.responsible for over 140,000 jobs. That is a great European success

:50:52. > :50:59.story. A lot of those cars go to the European market and we want to make

:51:00. > :51:03.sure that continues, tariff free. Thank you. Our security is

:51:04. > :51:07.guaranteed under Nato and this government's action to meet our 2%

:51:08. > :51:21.commitment is most welcome. I recently visited RAF Odiham in my

:51:22. > :51:28.constituency where the chin-ups -- chinooks base. Would the Prime

:51:29. > :51:35.Minister improve the living quarters for these people?

:51:36. > :51:41.I pay tribute to all the people who service those helicopters. I visited

:51:42. > :51:44.Afghanistan something like 13 times in recent years and their

:51:45. > :51:48.professionalism and brilliance in flying at very low levels is very

:51:49. > :51:53.remarkable. They have rightly been decorated for the work they do. We

:51:54. > :51:56.have an upgraded programme for the chinooks, which means new

:51:57. > :52:03.helicopters replacing part of the existing fleet. Some ?2 million has

:52:04. > :52:09.been spent on RAF Odiham but if more is needed, we shall make sure that

:52:10. > :52:14.happens. In 1949, aged 11 months, my constituent William was diagnosed

:52:15. > :52:20.with polio. He has worked from the age of 15 and continues to work at

:52:21. > :52:25.67 but following a clearly flawed EIP assessment he is set to lose his

:52:26. > :52:28.motor ability card, within three weeks. He said it will leave him

:52:29. > :52:33.unable to leave the House and unable to work. Will the Prime Minister

:52:34. > :52:40.urgently review his case and the case of 14,000 disabled people who

:52:41. > :52:44.have this as an essential lifeline? What we have found so far with

:52:45. > :52:48.personal independence payments is we are spending more money on

:52:49. > :52:51.disability, rather than less money on disability. I will look very

:52:52. > :53:02.carefully at the case. The whole point about PIP compared to DLA is

:53:03. > :53:08.there is a proper medical screening process. I am sure your constituent

:53:09. > :53:11.will welcome us being so close to eradicating polio entirely from our

:53:12. > :53:13.world and this government is committed to going the extra mile

:53:14. > :53:23.and making that happen. Schools in South Suffolk were

:53:24. > :53:27.delighted this week to see the publication of the Government's

:53:28. > :53:31.consultation on fairer funding. Given that the first part of this

:53:32. > :53:35.consultation will focus on the core principles, does my right honourable

:53:36. > :53:39.friend agree with me, one of those principles must be to recognise

:53:40. > :53:43.rural schools face unique and unavoidable costs which are not

:53:44. > :53:47.funded under the current formula? I certainly agree it is right we are

:53:48. > :53:50.examining this formula and trying to achieve better fairness. I think

:53:51. > :53:55.everyone can see that the figures between best funded schools on the

:53:56. > :54:00.less worst funded schools, that gap has got too great. I agree, it will

:54:01. > :54:06.be vital, the specific needs of schools in rural areas are properly

:54:07. > :54:09.considered. Our proposal suggests sending additional funding to all

:54:10. > :54:14.schools in sparsely populated areas. To follow up the question from my

:54:15. > :54:18.right honourable friend, the Leader of the Opposition, that official

:54:19. > :54:27.figures show... It is not funny. 12,000 vacancies in construction are

:54:28. > :54:33.hard to fill due to a lack of skilled applicants. Can the Prime

:54:34. > :54:36.Minister explain why the number of construction apprenticeships have

:54:37. > :54:40.fallen under him? The point is we are building more

:54:41. > :54:45.houses, investing more in construction, training more

:54:46. > :54:49.apprentices. The money is there from the Government and now we are going

:54:50. > :54:52.to have the apprenticeship levy on the larger businesses that will make

:54:53. > :55:00.sure we can fund apprenticeships long through this Parliament. Mr

:55:01. > :55:07.Bellingham. The Prime Minister will be aware of a recent tragic fatality

:55:08. > :55:11.on the A17 in my constituency. Whilst we must await the result of a

:55:12. > :55:16.full inquest and police inquiry, does he agree it is vital the local

:55:17. > :55:21.council is consulted when it comes to looking at new safety measures?

:55:22. > :55:24.I have heard about this tragic accident and I am sure on behalf of

:55:25. > :55:27.everyone we should send our sympathies and condolences to those

:55:28. > :55:32.involved. I think he is right to say and so many of these cases the

:55:33. > :55:34.parish council has a lot of expertise about roads that are not

:55:35. > :55:41.things that could be done and they should be listened to in this and

:55:42. > :55:44.other cases. On Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day

:55:45. > :55:48.and just yesterday International Women's Day. Members opposite

:55:49. > :55:54.rightly working to celebrate women on both occasions. Why has this

:55:55. > :55:58.government introduced cuts to public services, a freeze to child benefit

:55:59. > :56:05.and reductions in work-related benefits that have left mothers ?13

:56:06. > :56:08.billion worse off? The one thing I share with the

:56:09. > :56:12.honourable lady is it was right to celebrate Mother's Day, I shared it

:56:13. > :56:17.with my mother, but I think I have probably said enough about her for

:56:18. > :56:20.the time being a! Also, it was a privilege to welcome to number ten

:56:21. > :56:24.yesterday some inspirational women from all walks of life, to mark

:56:25. > :56:27.International Women's Day. I'm not saying this government has sold all

:56:28. > :56:31.of these problems. We have more women in work, they are getting

:56:32. > :56:36.higher pay, paying lower taxes, getting more childcare and retiring

:56:37. > :56:41.with better pensions. When it comes to the things government needs to

:56:42. > :56:45.do, we are appointing more women to senior positions, to public

:56:46. > :57:01.appointments. The honours system is properly reflecting women.

:57:02. > :57:05.Some said, what about the pay gap? It is at its lowest published level.

:57:06. > :57:07.We have abolished the pay gap for the under 40s. When it comes to

:57:08. > :57:09.protecting women, this is the Government that criminalised forced

:57:10. > :57:11.marriage and introduced the duty to report female genital mutilation. It

:57:12. > :57:14.set out a specific domestic violence measure. We introduced Claire 's Law

:57:15. > :57:17.so people can find out about violent partners. I accept there is more to

:57:18. > :57:22.be done, but let me say this to the Labour Party, one thing you could

:57:23. > :57:28.help with, no more segregated, political meetings. Let us end the

:57:29. > :57:32.process of having people with bigoted religious views treating

:57:33. > :57:34.women as second-class citizens. I think you should all take the

:57:35. > :57:50.pledge, no more segregated meetings! The UK still has relatively poor

:57:51. > :57:54.superfast broadband and far too many mobile not spots. Great work has

:57:55. > :58:00.been done but what will my right honourable friend be discussing with

:58:01. > :58:05.his right honourable friend the Chancellor, in advance of the Budget

:58:06. > :58:08.Statement next week, in how we can improve coverage further,

:58:09. > :58:13.particularly for rural, small businesses in areas like mine?

:58:14. > :58:18.I think my honourable friend is right to raise this. Since 2010 we

:58:19. > :58:22.have nearly doubled the number of homes and businesses with superfast

:58:23. > :58:26.broadband. We are on track for the 90-95% target but there is more that

:58:27. > :58:29.needs to be done. I think this is something for members right across

:58:30. > :58:34.the House. Ten year is ago we were all rather guilty of leading

:58:35. > :58:38.campaigns against phone masts. Our constituents now want coverage for

:58:39. > :58:43.their Internet, they want coverage for mobile phones. We need to make

:58:44. > :58:46.sure we change the law in all the ways necessary, to make sure the

:58:47. > :58:49.masts are built, we increase coverage and make sure everyone is

:58:50. > :58:57.connected to the information superhighway. Thank you. 76% of the

:58:58. > :59:02.cost of a bottle of whiskey is taxed. Last week the Government's 2%

:59:03. > :59:07.cut in duty Priest revenue by 2.5 million. Well that Prime Minister

:59:08. > :59:12.accepts one of our greatest products as taxed too much and join with me

:59:13. > :59:18.in calling for a further 2% cut in duty in this year's budget?

:59:19. > :59:21.The Chancellor and I have consistently backed Scotland,

:59:22. > :59:25.Scottish whiskey and this vital industry. Let me say this. On the

:59:26. > :59:32.day the profit and loss account comes out for Scotland, you can see

:59:33. > :59:36.there is a ?15 billion gap that Scotland would face if it was

:59:37. > :59:41.outside the United Kingdom. I dread to think what taxation would be have

:59:42. > :59:48.to be levied not just an whiskey but petrol, work incomes, Holmes. That

:59:49. > :59:55.is the prospect of life outside the United Kingdom and why I am so we

:59:56. > :00:03.voted to stay together. The Government has just presented

:00:04. > :00:08.three White papers to Parliament under their self-imposed legal duty

:00:09. > :00:12.to provide information under the European referendum act. The

:00:13. > :00:16.Minister for Europe, during the proceedings between the two houses,

:00:17. > :00:20.undertook to me that the Government's information under that

:00:21. > :00:25.act would certainly be accurate and impartial, as he put it. The three

:00:26. > :00:34.recent White papers are not. My right honourable friend is the

:00:35. > :00:37.enforcer of the ministerial code, which demands ministers give

:00:38. > :00:42.accurate information to Parliament. Will my right honourable friend

:00:43. > :00:46.issue instructions to Foreign Office ministers to review and correct

:00:47. > :00:54.these White papers? Let me say to my honourable friend,

:00:55. > :00:56.we believe in the sovereignty of Parliament. Parliament dictated that

:00:57. > :01:01.these documents would be published and that is why they are being

:01:02. > :01:05.published. On the question of their content, their content has been

:01:06. > :01:09.prepared by civil servants and all the appropriate codes. If he does

:01:10. > :01:12.not agree with some of the content I would say, challenged the content.

:01:13. > :01:20.Have an argument about the content, not the process.

:01:21. > :01:24.The Prime Minister's notes will indicate to him that I raised the

:01:25. > :01:29.question at the National wildlife crime unit this year, I'm delighted

:01:30. > :01:40.to report its funding has now been secured. For the next four years. I

:01:41. > :01:47.take full responsibility for that. I read it on my website, so it must be

:01:48. > :01:50.true! As my mother used to say, it never hurts to say thank you, and I

:01:51. > :02:00.do. Can I ask him on a similar matter

:02:01. > :02:04.how his manifesto pledge on not using animals in circuses is

:02:05. > :02:13.progressing? Can I thank him for raising such good questions. On the

:02:14. > :02:16.circuses and wild animals, we have a manifesto commitment. We did not

:02:17. > :02:21.manage to meet it in the last parliament. We license these things

:02:22. > :02:25.so strictly I think we are talking about one or two circuses. Two,

:02:26. > :02:33.thank you. We are committed to legislating when Parliamentary time

:02:34. > :02:37.allows. Later today colleagues across the House and I will be

:02:38. > :02:41.launching a Parliamentary group on ending homelessness. Will my right

:02:42. > :02:45.honourable friend join me in welcoming the work of organisations

:02:46. > :02:48.around the country, including the Hope Centre in my constituency and

:02:49. > :02:52.pledge as a government we will do all we can to help homeless people

:02:53. > :02:53.and address the causes of homelessness so we can enter this

:02:54. > :03:25.problem once and for all. We hope to build by the end of this

:03:26. > :03:28.Parliament 1 million new homes. All the arguments against homelessness

:03:29. > :03:35.eventually come down to providing effective new homes.

:03:36. > :03:41.Can the Prime Minister imagine the shock when a shop worker discovered

:03:42. > :03:45.he was going to lose money as a result of the introduction of the

:03:46. > :03:50.living wage question that that is because to introduce it be and Q are

:03:51. > :03:58.cutting allowances. As a result he will take home ?50 a week less, or

:03:59. > :04:04.?2600 a year after the hourly rate goes up. Can that Prime Minister and

:04:05. > :04:11.Chancellor in their budget next week ensure that nobody working on a shop

:04:12. > :04:14.takes on less money? We want to see people take hope that more money and

:04:15. > :04:19.that is why we introduced the national living wage which will be

:04:20. > :04:24.at ?9 by 2020. We are cutting the taxes of people like the friend whom

:04:25. > :04:27.the honourable lady refers, will be able to earn ?11,000 from the 1st of

:04:28. > :04:36.April before paying any taxes at all. A recent study led by Imperial

:04:37. > :04:39.College has shown biomass, is progressed through the contracts for

:04:40. > :04:48.difference, could save Bill payers and the Treasury millions of pounds.

:04:49. > :04:49.An industry that supports many jobs in Selby in Cleethorpes. Can the

:04:50. > :04:54.Prime Minister look at this as a sustainable business

:04:55. > :04:59.model? Biomass comes from the US and Canada. Will you look at this so we

:05:00. > :05:03.can try and get it into the programme? I will, but what we have

:05:04. > :05:08.do realise is the extra amount of money we are prepared to put into

:05:09. > :05:15.renewable energy is a finite amount and in the end we have to make sure

:05:16. > :05:22.that what we get is cost effective. I will look carefully at what my

:05:23. > :05:25.friends as. It used to be said in English family's home was their

:05:26. > :05:35.castle. But following the Government's Housing Bill new

:05:36. > :05:39.tenants in social housing will be on pre-5-year contracts. Does the Prime

:05:40. > :05:42.Minister think it is right a student beginning their secondary education

:05:43. > :05:48.may face eviction at the time they come up to their GCSEs and A-levels?

:05:49. > :05:54.We want for their home to genuinely be there on which is why we are

:05:55. > :05:58.extending right to buy so that millions of people will be able to

:05:59. > :06:01.own their own home. As for future tenancies, we want to make sure

:06:02. > :06:05.social housing is therefore the people who need it most. No current

:06:06. > :06:09.tenant is going to be affected. That is why we think this Housing Bill

:06:10. > :06:12.will see more homes built, more homes owned, more homes rented and

:06:13. > :06:22.will be good for housing in our country.

:06:23. > :06:29.Prime Minister's Questions ending for the day, Jeremy Corbyn asking

:06:30. > :06:33.about welfare cuts at a time when corporation tax is cut comic he then

:06:34. > :06:37.moved on to children in poverty and then to the lack of apprenticeships,

:06:38. > :06:43.as he sees it. We'll come back to these things in a moment. What did

:06:44. > :06:53.our viewers make things today Camille,? Jeremy Corbyn chose some

:06:54. > :06:59.good topics today yet 100 questions have not equipped him with the skill

:07:00. > :07:04.of making a point, not once was David Cameron ruffled by the Leader

:07:05. > :07:09.of the Opposition, John agrees, given the faces of the MPs behind

:07:10. > :07:14.Jeremy Corbyn, quantity is not what matters. Mark says, at last Jeremy

:07:15. > :07:18.Corbyn should 70s, his first win of the Prime Minister who showed that

:07:19. > :07:22.again he cannot answer the question and his government does not care

:07:23. > :07:26.about the week, the poor, the sick. Ian says, delighted to hear about

:07:27. > :07:29.the reduction in disability payments, yet no follow up because

:07:30. > :07:35.Jeremy Corbyn missed his chance again. Many people seem to think,

:07:36. > :07:40.good topics although not making the points. He picked good topics

:07:41. > :07:44.because it was a bit scatter-gun, he moved on to something else.

:07:45. > :07:49.Reminiscent of William Hague. One area where he was successful against

:07:50. > :07:52.Tony Blair was that he would ask multiple questions, the Prime

:07:53. > :07:56.Minister has folders in different sections and Tony Blair had problems

:07:57. > :08:02.doing that. The problem for Jeremy Corbyn is that he might averaged a

:08:03. > :08:06.century of questions yet he has not matched David Cameron's quarter of a

:08:07. > :08:09.century of experience at Prime Minister's Questions. David Cameron

:08:10. > :08:13.was preparing to a major quarter of a century ago, he is accomplished

:08:14. > :08:19.and can handle it. The problem is you did not really feel that Jeremy

:08:20. > :08:22.Corbyn was scoring any runs, to stick to the cricketing analogy.

:08:23. > :08:27.He's trying to highlight the analogy. The point he wants to make

:08:28. > :08:33.is that David Cameron, you say everything is fine. If so, why are

:08:34. > :08:35.you cutting disability benefit, if everything is fine why is the

:08:36. > :08:40.construction industry in such trouble? The reason they want to

:08:41. > :08:44.focus on the economy is not just because of the Budget next week.

:08:45. > :08:48.They believe Labour lost two elections in a row because it had no

:08:49. > :08:52.credibility on the economy. They need to restore that, and then what

:08:53. > :08:56.the Labour leadership are saying is that they need to have a narrative

:08:57. > :09:00.that the government is complacent and not acknowledging the impact of

:09:01. > :09:04.the cuts and the impact of the falling tax receipts and the fiscal

:09:05. > :09:10.targets of George Osborne. The first question from Jeremy Corbyn was,

:09:11. > :09:15.White were some benefits to the disabled being cut by ?30 a week,

:09:16. > :09:21.which is what Jeremy Corbyn claimed. The Prime Minister did not answer.

:09:22. > :09:26.What's the answer, Dominic? They are moving to a condition where if

:09:27. > :09:28.you've got a condition, you get your jobseeker's allowance and then

:09:29. > :09:33.that's moved to the personal independence payment. That means

:09:34. > :09:37.that you got a personal tailored uplift bearing in mind the impact

:09:38. > :09:42.your condition has on your work prospects. We've got hundreds of

:09:43. > :09:46.thousands, think 293,000 extra disabled people in work compared

:09:47. > :09:51.with two yours ago. It's quite patronising to suggest that because

:09:52. > :09:57.you have a disability you can't be encouraged and incentivised to work.

:09:58. > :10:02.No, but until that happens is it not rather cruel to be cutting the

:10:03. > :10:06.welfare benefits by ?30 a week? It's not a straight cut, that element is

:10:07. > :10:12.moved into the personal tailored assessment of their need. It's not

:10:13. > :10:16.just ticking boxes. They could end up with less? Depends on their

:10:17. > :10:19.condition. We are making sure the welfare system is there for those

:10:20. > :10:23.who need it, and encouraging others who can work to be encouraged and

:10:24. > :10:29.incentivised and supported into work. I think it's an important

:10:30. > :10:32.principle. Would it be wrong if people who are disabled, still

:10:33. > :10:40.looking for work although not able to find it because it's harder in

:10:41. > :10:42.these conditions, would be wrong for them to be economically

:10:43. > :10:44.disadvantaged and they do find the work? Exactly why the personal

:10:45. > :10:48.independence payment should make sure this doesn't happen. It's a

:10:49. > :10:56.much more accurate personally tailored assessment of their

:10:57. > :11:00.personal needs. Lilian Greenwood? I know from my constituent Manuel have

:11:01. > :11:04.contacted me that they really, really anxious about this and don't

:11:05. > :11:07.feel they are getting the support. There was another question about the

:11:08. > :11:12.experiences people have in applying for this payment and losing support

:11:13. > :11:23.and the whole process is making life anxious for them. Are they right to

:11:24. > :11:25.be anxious? Of course. That is the experience. Going through the system

:11:26. > :11:28.of large numbers of appeals being upheld, people aren't getting the

:11:29. > :11:35.support they need and they are being made even more worried as a result

:11:36. > :11:41.of the process. All these changes are difficult and yet the point was

:11:42. > :11:46.made throughout PMQs, a smug you have a vibrant economy, you can't

:11:47. > :11:51.put money into either the welfare system all the schools -- unless you

:11:52. > :11:56.have a vibrant economy. The problem of Jeremy Corbyn is that liberty

:11:57. > :12:00.believes he is coming up with other than pride from the left. You would

:12:01. > :12:06.not want to rescue Britain's welfare system on the backs of the disabled,

:12:07. > :12:11.which? There are no easy cuts left. None of these things are easy. You

:12:12. > :12:15.want to ensure that the welfare budget, a huge proportion of what

:12:16. > :12:19.the government spends, is properly tailored to those who need it. And

:12:20. > :12:25.those who can get into work properly is aborted to do so. I think that's

:12:26. > :12:30.a sensible principle. Is not also sensible to balance the budget, if

:12:31. > :12:33.that is your aim, and those with the broadest backs, not with those who

:12:34. > :12:41.are often the weakest and most anxious in society? Think we do,

:12:42. > :12:44.compared to 2010, if you a millionaire you are paying more

:12:45. > :12:49.income tax. That's a concrete example of how what we do is good

:12:50. > :12:54.for the economy and fairer. This will stand or fall in some cases.

:12:55. > :12:58.There could be cases of disabled people worse off as a result of

:12:59. > :13:04.these changes. I would suggest that would be wrong and embarrassing for

:13:05. > :13:08.the government. The aim, our hope is that a personalised approach to

:13:09. > :13:13.this, assessment based on the need of the individual will avoid that

:13:14. > :13:17.and mitigated more than a more automated ticking boxes approach. We

:13:18. > :13:24.shall see. It might have been an issue Jeremy Corbyn should have

:13:25. > :13:30.concentrated on more. Gerry Downing is a member of a socialist

:13:31. > :13:34.organisation, we understand that he has been readmitted to the

:13:35. > :13:40.membership of the Labour Party. Are you happy with that? Have not seen

:13:41. > :13:44.the detail of what the NEC has decided... It is not a matter of

:13:45. > :13:49.argument, we know he is a Trotskyist revolutionary. The purpose of

:13:50. > :13:53.Socialist Fighters to end capitalism on the planet by socialist

:13:54. > :13:57.revolution. The kind of person who should be allowed to join the Labour

:13:58. > :14:03.Party now given that he wasn't before? That does not sound

:14:04. > :14:10.consistent with our party values so it'll be interesting to find out

:14:11. > :14:24.what the NEC say. He describes the 911 attack as creating outrage which

:14:25. > :14:30.must never... You must be puzzled as to where the NEC have allowed him to

:14:31. > :14:34.rejoin the party. I will be interested to see how they went

:14:35. > :14:39.through their deliberations. He has given support in certain

:14:40. > :14:43.circumstances to Islamic State. Socialist Fight says the defend the

:14:44. > :14:49.fight of Isis against US imperialism. It has called for

:14:50. > :14:55.tactical military assistance in defence of Isis. I have absolutely

:14:56. > :15:00.no truck with those comments. I am as mystified as I am sure you are.

:15:01. > :15:05.It seems quite bizarre that the NEC should allow somebody with these

:15:06. > :15:11.views, a Trotskyist revolutionary, to join the Labour Party.

:15:12. > :15:18.A website has the letter sent think there was an objection, and now you

:15:19. > :15:24.are back in. If John McDonald, the Shadow Chancellor, gets his way,

:15:25. > :15:30.they would do away with the compliance unit, was meant to vet

:15:31. > :15:32.these people. We had a former member of the paedophile information

:15:33. > :15:36.exchange who was allowed in. If John McDonald had his way, you would not

:15:37. > :15:40.have that unit and there would be more of the sort of people coming

:15:41. > :15:45.into the Labour Party. As you are saying, Lillian, this person has a

:15:46. > :15:48.profoundly different worldview to you and a profoundly different

:15:49. > :15:57.worldview to the majority of British voters. Why has the NEC agreed to

:15:58. > :16:02.this? It is from the compliance unit that reports to the NEC. Whether

:16:03. > :16:08.there is a mistake or it is an oversight... It cannot be an

:16:09. > :16:12.oversight? He is a well-known figure and there has been quite a lot of

:16:13. > :16:16.publicity about this. As Lillian is saying, it is a challenge for the

:16:17. > :16:19.Labour Party are they go into the next election allowing people like

:16:20. > :16:23.this... Do you think it would be right to change the rules in the

:16:24. > :16:27.Labour Party so the leader is, if there is a leadership challenge, the

:16:28. > :16:32.existing leader of the Labour Party is automatically, if they want to

:16:33. > :16:37.be, on the next ballot? I think that is a matter for party conference.

:16:38. > :16:42.They decide on constitutional matters and changes. I was asking

:16:43. > :16:46.you? I am happy with the rules as they stand, but it is a matter for

:16:47. > :16:57.Labour members, if they want to bring forward changes to our

:16:58. > :16:59.Constitution, that will be discussed at party conference. But you

:17:00. > :17:01.wouldn't change the rules as they stand at the moment? I have no

:17:02. > :17:05.particular view on changing the rules on that regard, but it is a

:17:06. > :17:10.matter for party members. Are you a party member? I am satisfied with

:17:11. > :17:14.the rules we have got. That is an answer and I thank you for it. Nick,

:17:15. > :17:16.thank you. Budget next week, busy time.

:17:17. > :17:20.Later today MPs are expected to vote on plans to give councils in England

:17:21. > :17:22.and Wales powers to extend Sunday trading for major stores.

:17:23. > :17:25.Well, Ellie's been out with the entirely unscientific

:17:26. > :17:30.Welcome to London's West End, one of the busiest and biggest

:17:31. > :17:32.shopping areas in the whole of the country,

:17:33. > :17:35.but I'm not here for the week's best bargains, oh no -

:17:36. > :17:39.So, should trading hours be extended on a Sunday?

:17:40. > :17:50.Should we extend opening hours on a Sunday?

:17:51. > :17:55.Because I work in retail, and I don't want to work any later

:17:56. > :17:59.But surely you would get the hours back,

:18:00. > :18:05.We may need to get something and then the shop's not

:18:06. > :18:16.A good idea if you don't have to work on a Sunday,

:18:17. > :18:19.Some shops open early, some shops open late,

:18:20. > :18:21.and you never quite know where you are.

:18:22. > :18:26.# We're S H O P P I N G, we're shopping.#

:18:27. > :18:30.You know, you just like to stay in bed later in the morning

:18:31. > :18:33.and when you wake up, you go to the shops and it's already shut.

:18:34. > :18:36.You must have a very long lie in!

:18:37. > :18:41.I am a church organist, so my Sundays

:18:42. > :18:44.are always taken up, usually in the mornings.

:18:45. > :18:47.But there are plenty of other hours in the day to go

:18:48. > :18:51.I work on a Sunday, I look after the elderly.

:18:52. > :18:56.And you know what, I think if they are open, people buy

:18:57. > :18:59.more, so we spend more money, so it's not a good idea.

:19:00. > :19:04.Oh yeah, I didn't think about that actually!

:19:05. > :19:07.Not that many people actually go shopping on a Sunday.

:19:08. > :19:11.You'd be surprised at how dead it is, so an extra three or four

:19:12. > :19:20.Well, they shopped and then they dropped their balls

:19:21. > :19:23.into the mood box and actually the opinions seem to be pretty even

:19:24. > :19:27.Can I just have a little look at that handbag?

:19:28. > :19:43.And Neil Gray from the SNP joins us now from Parliament's central lobby.

:19:44. > :19:52.The SNP definitely going to vote against today? The proposals as they

:19:53. > :19:57.stand, we have said, had proposals we could not countenance. They would

:19:58. > :20:01.disproportionately impact on the retail workers who work on a Sunday

:20:02. > :20:06.in Scotland and we believe they would lose their premium pay as a

:20:07. > :20:10.result. The Government still has an opportunity, however. We have not

:20:11. > :20:13.voted on this yet, they have an opportunity to come forward with

:20:14. > :20:18.proposals we could accept. That would be amending legislation or

:20:19. > :20:22.evolving employment law to Scotland, which is what we have called for

:20:23. > :20:27.from the beginning. But you will be voting with the Tory rebels as it

:20:28. > :20:34.stands? Yes, against the proposals as they stand. It is clear, the

:20:35. > :20:39.evidence from the shop keepers union, and from others, that this

:20:40. > :20:44.would have an effect on the premium pay of Sunday shop workers. You have

:20:45. > :20:47.held this position since before Christmas, as I understand, so why

:20:48. > :20:51.has it taken you so long to make up your mind on this Bill? We have been

:20:52. > :20:57.working to trying convince the Government to take a different view

:20:58. > :21:02.on this. Trying to stitch up a deal with the Government? Not stitch up a

:21:03. > :21:05.deal but provide protections for Scottish shop workers and elsewhere

:21:06. > :21:11.in the United Kingdom, who are going to have their Sunday premium pay put

:21:12. > :21:15.at risk by these proposals. We've been quite clear from the beginning.

:21:16. > :21:19.In them but we made a very clear call to the Government, to look at

:21:20. > :21:22.this again and they have not come back with an offer that is

:21:23. > :21:28.appropriate to us. Just stay with us. Should the Government comeback

:21:29. > :21:31.with a deal then you will win? I honestly think the SNP are just

:21:32. > :21:35.playing political games with this. I'm not sure they are very serious

:21:36. > :21:38.about it at all. It would be devolved from Local Authorities, so

:21:39. > :21:43.there would be a strong local democratic element of this. I would

:21:44. > :21:49.of thought is given the SNP's hole shtick this is something they would

:21:50. > :21:56.embrace. You are a party that wants devolution of power from Whitehall,

:21:57. > :22:00.so why are you standing in the way of people choosing what is right for

:22:01. > :22:05.their constituencies and economies question mark this is would be

:22:06. > :22:07.unworkable if the proposals currently on the table were to go

:22:08. > :22:13.forward. Quite frankly that is a nonsensical

:22:14. > :22:17.argument from the studio. From our point of view, we are very clear. We

:22:18. > :22:21.want to see the protection of Scottish Opera workers who are

:22:22. > :22:25.working on a Sunday and get premium pay for that. Why should the SNP get

:22:26. > :22:29.involved in something that is really only going to affect England and

:22:30. > :22:36.Wales? You have given up the policy and -- on abstaining from issues

:22:37. > :22:41.that do not affect you. People will view it as the party being

:22:42. > :22:49.hypocrites. It is not. It is clear, the evidence is there, the shop

:22:50. > :22:53.keepers union have made it clear. That is why we're taking the line we

:22:54. > :22:59.are. It is absolutely not a hypocritical position to be in. It

:23:00. > :23:04.an impact on Scotland. It is not just the SNP unhappy about it. 24 of

:23:05. > :23:09.your colleagues are going to vote against, or vote for an amendment.

:23:10. > :23:12.What do you say to them? We keep talking on all sides of the House

:23:13. > :23:17.about doing something for the high street. It faces enormous pressure

:23:18. > :23:21.from online retailers. This is a concrete and tangible thing we can

:23:22. > :23:25.do. It would be subject to Local Authorities taking the decision. On

:23:26. > :23:29.the workers rights point, I totally understand anyone who for reasons of

:23:30. > :23:45.faith or family, I have young kids myself, doesn't want work any more

:23:46. > :23:49.on Sunday that is why there would be a clear opt out for those people.

:23:50. > :23:51.But you cannot keep talking about helping the high Street and every

:23:52. > :23:54.time oppose specific measures that would help us do that. Is there any

:23:55. > :23:58.chance the Government will pull this boat if it loses? I'm not sure. I do

:23:59. > :24:00.not have any inside track. I hope it goes through. I think is good for

:24:01. > :24:03.the high Street, for local democracy and we protect those around freedom

:24:04. > :24:07.of choice. You say there is still time for a deal. What would you like

:24:08. > :24:13.to hear, specifically? You said General protection but what would do

:24:14. > :24:17.it for the SNP? Protection for the premium pay shop workers on a Sunday

:24:18. > :24:21.or the devolution of implement law so we can protect our shop workers

:24:22. > :24:29.in Scotland from what would be a regressive move. To have talks lined

:24:30. > :24:34.up with the Government for this? The ball is in their court. No one has

:24:35. > :24:39.come knocking on your door? Not as far as I'm aware. OK, thank you.

:24:40. > :24:47.Buckingham Palace has just announced it has registered a complaint with

:24:48. > :24:53.the independent Press Complaints Commission after it said the Queen

:24:54. > :24:58.had expressed strong views with Nick Clegg. We know if the Queen had

:24:59. > :25:01.anything to say about Europe, she would say it on her favourite

:25:02. > :25:04.programme, which is the Daily Politics. It is now time for lunch,

:25:05. > :25:12.she will be sipping her drink. Now, would you pay to watch a night

:25:13. > :25:15.of comedy, music and poetry to help That's the aim of an event

:25:16. > :25:19.called JC4PM, that's been It's apparently proved very popular

:25:20. > :25:22.at venues in England, but it's been reported that

:25:23. > :25:24.tickets for tonight's show at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh

:25:25. > :25:27.have proved harder to sell. According to Buzzfeed organisers

:25:28. > :25:30.are blaming the dominance of the SNP Well, one of the first comedians

:25:31. > :25:35.to come out for Corbyn was Grainne Maguire,

:25:36. > :25:47.and she joins us now. Welcome. What is it about the Scots?

:25:48. > :25:52.They don't like your tumour, is that why they are not turning up? You can

:25:53. > :25:56.blame Jeromy for a lot of things but the state of the British live comedy

:25:57. > :26:02.circuit! I thought that was quite healthy. Everyone is watching on

:26:03. > :26:07.television. Are you going to the Festival Hall to night? I cannot

:26:08. > :26:14.make it to night. But stand up for Jeremy are doing dates all around

:26:15. > :26:20.the country. You are filling out places, so why not in Edinburgh?

:26:21. > :26:30.It's Wednesday, it's miserable. How do you know it's miserable? A bit

:26:31. > :26:36.dour in Edinburgh? Comedy promotion is hard. Maybe this is too bigger

:26:37. > :26:42.venue. They did say most venues have been standing room only. But this is

:26:43. > :26:47.one of the largest theatres in Scotland, owing to lack of choice.

:26:48. > :26:55.You have Charlotte Church, Mark steel, Jeremy Hardy... You also, not

:26:56. > :27:01.you personally, but you are including a Labour MSP called Mr

:27:02. > :27:08.Finlay. Maybe it is the politicians they do want to see. I am told he

:27:09. > :27:15.has a great set. He is packing them out. Now you have advertised the

:27:16. > :27:26.fantastic line-up. What kind of jokes do you tell at a JC4PM gig?

:27:27. > :27:30.Remember this is daytime television. The most adorable thing about doing

:27:31. > :27:33.these gigs, you have standard comedians but there is always a

:27:34. > :27:37.politician at the start doing a little five minutes. Most

:27:38. > :27:43.politicians do, I'm not a comedian but I do work with clowns....

:27:44. > :27:49.However, Siddique Khan has got a strong club ten minutes. Does he

:27:50. > :27:55.question at he does, a strong second career waiting for him. It will be

:27:56. > :27:59.interesting after the election. Kezia Dugdale has bought tickets,

:28:00. > :28:04.but she is not going. What do we read into that? Not very good at

:28:05. > :28:14.diary management! LAUGHTER When is the next one that you are

:28:15. > :28:18.doing? I am doing one in Brixton. There are events all over. It is so

:28:19. > :28:28.much fun, there is a raffle. What is the prize? I can do a few jokes! The

:28:29. > :28:33.second career now. After the failure of the first one! We only have ten

:28:34. > :28:40.seconds. I love Ed Miliband because he looks like David Miliband but

:28:41. > :28:43.reflected in a spoon. You did it in ten seconds, very good!

:28:44. > :28:47.Consider Edinburgh already sold out. There's just time to put you out

:28:48. > :28:57.of your misery and give The year Mark Thatcher got lost in

:28:58. > :29:02.the desert and many got found again. Regard that as a good or bad news

:29:03. > :29:07.story. Press the button. Let's find out who the winner is.

:29:08. > :29:13.Well done! That's it for today, we thank all of

:29:14. > :29:17.our guests for being with us. The One O'clock News is starting

:29:18. > :29:19.over on BBC One now. JoCo and I will be here at noon

:29:20. > :29:23.tomorrow with all the big political It's a huge weekend of sport,

:29:24. > :29:40.live across the BBC.