19/12/2016 Daily Politics

Hello, and welcome to the Daily Politics.

Christmas cheer could be in short supply

if you want to use a post office, train or plane this week.

So, how serious are the latest round of strikes?

And how should the Government respond?

There's been a mass walk-out in the Stormont Assembly

in Northern Ireland this morning, where First Minister

Arlene Foster is facing a vote of no-confidence over

I am the only candidate who has pledged to defeat Isis.

We'll be talking about this unusual campaign to win election

It's been a roller-coaster of a year.

We'll look back at the pictures that have defined 2016,

and ask what the year ahead could have in store.

And with us for the whole of the show are the Conservative

And, having failed in our bid for a Christmas Day special

to replace a rerun of Dad's Army, this is the penultimate

No need to answer, that's more of a rhetorical question.

First today, let's talk about the wave of strikes

hitting a range of services in the run-up to Christmas.

Postal services, railways and airlines are all affected,

which could add up to a miserable time for many members of the public

and has sparked renewed calls for the Government to do more

to curb the impact of strikes, following claims that at least some

Around 3,000 staff at hundreds of Crown Post Offices,

the larger branches usually located in high streets,

are expected to strike today, tomorrow and on Saturday,

in a dispute over jobs, pensions and branch closures.

UK airports are also set to be hit by a 48-hour

strike from December 23rd, with about 1,500 check-in staff,

baggage handlers and cargo crew involved in a row over pay.

In a separate dispute, some cabin crew at British Airways

have also called strikes for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Meanwhile, strikes continue on Southern Rail services today,

with conductors from the RMT union beginning two days of walk-outs.

So, how close are we to a Christmas of discontent?

Well, the number of working days lost to workplace

disputes is up this year, but industrial unrest is still very

low by historical standards, and only a fraction of the levels

The Conservatives have already introduced the Trade Union Act

in May, delivering their manifesto pledge of strike ballots having

to achieve a 50% turnout in order for industrial action to go ahead.

Ministers also introduced a minimum threshold of at least 40% support

for industrial action in "important public services" like health,

But not all of the strikes taking place this month are covered by this

Some Conservative MPs are calling on the Government to go further,

and introduce stricter laws on strike action.

And there were questions about whether some of the strikes

were politically motivated, after a video emerged

of one union leader, the RMT president Sean Hoyle,

saying unions were seeking to "bring down the Tory Government"

and "replace the capitalist system with a socialist order."

Suella Fernandes, do you think these strikes are justified in the run-up

to Christmas? Identity top I think the unions are holding a gun to the

head of the management and, actually, the commuters and baby but

you need to use our postal service. Hundreds of thousands of people are

going to be affected severely by these strikes. My constituency in

Fareham, I hear from communities every day who are suffering. They

can't get to work, can't get home to see their families and are in the

middle of this dispute which is now unfair and disproportionate. Do you

agree with your colleague, David Lammy, Meg Hillier, chair of the

Public Accounts Committee, who has suggested the unions need a bit of a

wake-up call and the impact of the strike action could be shooting

themselves in the foot? I do want to make a generalised statement about

the unions because, actually, in each situation you've got something

very different. With Southern Rail, frankly the government should have

done something about the nightmare of a company now making huge profits

but running a line terribly and obviously now in a very disagreeable

situation and this stuff. BAE, it is about a deal struck in 2010 and what

a percentage of those who are on the airlines, their terms and

conditions, which are not fantastic by anyone's standard and the

situation with Royal Mail, which is not really about the government, is

an internal dispute. So are those strikes justified? I don't know the

detail of the Royal Mail situation. What about the RMT or the athletic

train drivers? Is it justifiable for them to be still on strike? -- Aslef

train drivers. I am deeply frustrated with Southern Rail so, in

a sense, the mess, I think, sits with the Government. It really

should act. But what about the unions? The row is about who closes

the doors! I understand a third of our rail franchise, the doors are

closed by the driver. It feels like, obviously, an incidental dispute but

it is serious to the terms and conditions of the conductors. And

surely it is down to the company to have actually resolved this strike

and the company that hasn't invested, Southern Rail, and hasn't

actually got enough staff to cover these disputes, or even when there

are no dispute, they don't have enough staff, it seems, to actually

be on the trains. Do you think they don't bear any responsible to? The

fact is that these strikes are... No jobs are going to be lost, no wages

are going to be cut, there is no safety issue. The independent

regulator has said there is no safety issue, despite what the

unions say. Do you think the company has any responsibility? These

strikes could end tomorrow if Aslef and the RMT called them off. That's

where the fault lies. It is not the Government's fault. The whole

responsible as he is politically motivated and unfair. So you don't

think the committee has any responsibility? You may make the

accusation that it is politically motivated. Isn't it politically

motivated, though, David Lammy? We can listen to the RMT president Sean

Hoyle and what he said about whether politics is involved.

The great newspaper the Times, they did a spread the

other week where they were talking about the left trying to bring the

Government down and it had the National Shop Stewards

Network, the RMT, other left-wing organisations,

coordinating to bring the Government down.

Any trade unionist with any sense wants to bring down this bloody

working-class-hating Tory government.

He couldn't have been clearer, could he? It is politically motivated, so

says Sean Hoyle. Is he right? There is no surprise that the union of

Crow has deep animosity towards a government that has pursued

austerity. I don't think it is surprising that his agenda, of

course, is to bring down the government. That's the position of

the RMT. Is that fair on union members, to use that union to pursue

an agenda to bring down the government... I don't think that's

news. But is it right, is it fair that travellers on these trains are

suffering because unions have gone on strike, motivated by the

political agenda of the union leaders? I think you've got to

distinguish between a stated RMT position, and the RMT is not

affiliated to the Labour Party, so they've always been in a very

strong, extreme position, and this dispute, and in the end, when Suella

Fernandes says it has nothing to do with the government, this is a

company that has made 100 million. Its profits have gone up by 27 and

was the worst rail franchise country. It should be in the control

of the mayor, Sadiq Khan wants it and we find out the Chris Grayling

doesn't want to do it because he is a Labour mayor so what is the

Government doing about this franchise which is out of control

and causing huge chaos to the south and to London? Think of our GDP and

how it is affected. The fact is, there is no reasonable basis for

this strike action. Unions say that is not the case. They say there are

safety issues. And we see what their motivation is, to bring down the

government. Has Southern Rail been a successful franchise? Southern Rail

has... There have been a lot of problems with cancellations, delays

and poor service, absolutely, and this is a dispute between unions and

the management. The Government can take action but that takes a long

time. We need action now and the way it can stop now is if the unions

call off the strike and if Labour condemns this action. It is

unsurprising that Aslef pays ?100,000 to the Labour Party and yet

Jeremy Corbyn will not come out and criticises an acceptable strike

action. What did you think of the letter Chris Grayling wrote a Boris

Johnson to say that he wouldn't be happy, in 2013, for the suburban

rail lines to be given to a Labour mayor, but it was politically

motivated, to use your words? Ideology became involved over a

decision over who should run the suburban rail lines. This is a

dispute between the company and the management and the unions and the

Government has assisted to try and ensure negotiation. As far as I

know, those talks are not taking place today and yet industrial

action is proposed. What about Suella Fernandes's point that you

could condemn the strike and of Jeremy Corbyn came out and condemn

the strike action, particularly on Southern Rail, that would actually

help bring it to" book she didn't answer your question. You're not

answering my now. It is crystal clear in the letter, she didn't

answer it. In relation to the strike itself, there is a genuine dispute

about who should shut the doors when you accept that two thirds of our

train doors are shut by conductors. The bottom line is, this franchise

is failing and the Government have failed to act. People are suffering

and the Government has failed to act, so it's not just a situation

between management and the union. Let's talk about some of the

suggestions about what might be done because Chris Grayling said he

wasn't ruling anything in or out and the Conservative MP Chris Gayle has

suggested new laws to make strikes reasonable and proportionate, things

like maintaining a 50 cents level of service when strikes take place in

public infrastructure and making it mandatory to attend mediation talks

at Acas when a strike is ongoing. Would you support that? I did the

Government can take action and it takes a long time to get act of

Parliament through the Lords and we need action now. We need to look at

lots of options. We need to consider what is right. The trade unions act,

which has gone through the last parliament, was very effective in

trying to limit some of the powers of the unions. Southern Rail passed

the threshold that was required so would you like to go further? I

think what needs to happen is that the unions take responsibility and I

accept that the effect of their actions is unfair, disproportionate

and unacceptable. And you want to repeal the trade union act. You

would make it even easier to strike. Strikes are down compared to the

1970s and 1980s. That was a long time ago and they were not good

decades.. Why are we wasting time taking bill through parliament on

trade unions when, relative to where we were in the 1970s, nothing like

the scale of strikes. It is much harder to strike in Britain. Yes,

we've got problems and disputes but that will always happen between

those who run public franchises and those who work for them. That is

part of the grist. We shouldn't just dismiss strikes as politically

motivated when there are genuine issues between terms that could

change within companies and that is certainly the case with BA. We will

leave it there. We are going to go to Stormont and

told our correspondent because there has been a walk-out in the Northern

Ireland assembly and let's try and get some of the background and talk

to Mark Devonport. What actually happened? Arlene Foster, the First

Minister, has been able to make a statement but that was after other

members of the Assembly walked out. We've had a lot of drama here at

Stormont. The background to this is this renewable heat scandal, which

is set to potentially cost the Northern Ireland taxpayer ?400

million over the next 20 years. The reason our First Minister Arlene

Foster has been in the firing line is that she was the Minister in the

department responsible for this scheme when it was introduced in

November 20 12th. There has been growing concern, both in the media

focus on this and public attention, about this. It has come to a head

here today and she went ahead and made a statement setting out her

version of events but the reason that was controversial is that we

have a very particular kind of power-sharing here, whereby she is

meant to act in no way, shape or form without the approval and

authority of the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, and he

didn't want her to go ahead with that statement and thinks something

more of the nature of a judicial inquiry is required and that's why

there was a walk-out. What about her standing as First Minister?

Obviously, there were calls for a vote of no-confidence in Arlene

Foster. What has this to her leadership? I think politically, she

is undoubtedly damage, as is the stability of the Stormont Coalition

but she can still stay on because under the Stormont rules, to have

her excluded from office, and that is what opposition politicians were

asking for, you need a majority of both nationalists and unionists and

on her own, Arlene Foster can still command a majority of unionists. She

has enough members of the legislative assembly in the DUP to

stave off any attempt so any kind of motion that will be heard this

afternoon will have a symbolic impact, rather than a practical one,

but it is a seriously damaging impact on the Stormont power-sharing

Coalition. Thank you very much. Now to the latest part in our series

looking at the issues faced by key Government departments

in the run-up to Brexit. We've already covered

the Home Office, the turned our attention to another

department that was created It's the Department For Business,

Energy And Industrial Strategy. The Business Secretary's top protein

will be to ensure British firms benefit from free trade deals and

continued access to the single market after Brexit. His recent

glitter to Nissan provided enough reassurance to the Japanese giant to

not just maintain but expand UK production. What other sectors will

require similar guarantees? A central plank of the vote Leave

campaign was Brexit would allow us to be rid of many EU regulations.

Now ministers will have to decide which should go while maintaining

access to export markets. This possibility for employment law rests

with the business department. Will ministers looks to change rules

governing time limits on working hours and rights for temporary

workers? Will London remain an international arbitration centre?

Some believe leaving the EU will provide an opportunity to amend

English law emanating from the EU that could make the UK more

attractive for international arbitration.

The UK has led the way on reducing harmful emissions but will Brexit

give the UK a chance to reset its policy? Potentially moving away from

the complex EU carbon trading programme. The EU sets stringent

targets for production of renewable energy across member states. Our

climate change at goes even further so Brexit won't lead to a reversal

but it will mean the UK won't be response both are cutting more if

other countries in the EU failed to meet obligations.

The EU requires member states to recycle 50% of household

waste by 2020 whilst Scotland and Wales have similar targets set by

their governments but England does not. Leaving the EU could give

ministers leeway to be more lenient. These are some of the issues for the

Government as we move ever closer to triggering article 50 on our x it

from the EU by next March. And we're joined now

by a former Business Secretary, the former Lib Dem MP,

Vince Cable. No one knows what exactly was in the

glitter to the Nissan but if you had been Business Secretary what would

you have written? Or what Nissan wanted and the

current minister wants, all the supply chains want, is an assurance

they can remain within a customs union arrangement because that

doesn't just exempt them from tablets but means they don't have

the bureaucracy associated with the so-called rules of origin. Something

like that must have been in the glitter.

Does he have the power to do that, Greg Clark, when we know nothing has

been ruled in or out in terms of negotiation?

Nissan seems to have been persuaded. They are very smart operators. The

argument going on in Government and even Doctor Fox the ultra among the

Brexiteers, seem to accept a customs union arrangement is necessary. He

has cited Turkey as a role model. Whether it can be done on a sectoral

basis, we don't know. That is pretty top of the lift for Greg Clark.

Is that what you have written or given more assurances?

That isn't the only thing, but one of many.

Quite a few key industries to depend on single market rules, we are

talking about life sciences, pharmaceuticals, a key issue is a

common testing standard which operates at European level.

Things like that throughout our industries which are critical to

retain. Will it be the first of many letters

written to industries in different sectors?

It looks as if the Government is going down that road, piecemeal

guarantees for particular industries. I was told they have 95

sectors they are working on. It begins to look unmanageable.

We have no idea how the EU will react.

They recognise most of our key export industries to depend on EU

rules. Is that how you see it? To keep

businesses in the UK is an assurance they will be in a customs union even

though we weren't make the free trade deals the gun that has talked

about? It is great news and a vote of

confidence in the British economy Nissan has committed to maintaining

their plants in Sunderland, 150,000 jobs staying here. Other businesses

have made real commitments, defying the negative predictions.

What was promised to them? I don't think promises, I am not

party to those negotiations. It is really clear Theresa May has

said she wants Britain to be a leader in free trade and we want a

pro-market strategy. Greg Clark is in favour of making

Britain competitive in terms of regulation, allowing more

productivity and competition. We can only do that because we have

an opportunity for Brexit. I don't think what Vince says is

right. Both are not compatible.

There is no way companies like Nissan will commit themselves to

expanding their operations in the UK unless they are exempted from

bureaucracy. That thinking is clear. The idea by

leaving the EU we will have less regulation actually goes contrary to

the way the arguments are going. One thing Britain will get out of

leaving, it is a positive thing, it's to interrupt corporate

takeovers and apply tougher rules in the public interest, something

Theresa May wants to do, the Daily Mail is keen to do it. We need it

for our science -based industries. This is more national controlled

than less European. Let us look at red tape, you say you

want to be free from EU regulation. Six months on you properly have a

list. Which otherwise you would like to

see the end? The import tariffs, not quite

regulation. There are 2000 costing ?3 billion a year. That price gets

taken on by the consumer. Products coming into the customs

union from outside the EU which... Let us talk about regulations. The

Leave campaign talked about the yards of EU regulation they wanted

to get rid of, which would you like to get rid of?

I am glad the ports directive will not go ahead, one example of an

unhelpful, ill thought out directive which would have damaged our ports

which the trade unions were against, which were anti-competitive.

The reach chemicals directive which would have burdened our biochemical

industries. But that has already been

implemented. A damaging directive. Placing huge

costs on that sector in this country.

She is saying there will be some, they may be here but they will be

dumped. It is interesting to see which will be.

They are common standards for the chemical industry. If you get rid of

common standards how do British chemical kind is toucher -- how do

British chemical industries trade in Europe?

We have a chance to decide what those regulations will be as opposed

to being imposed. We can, our parliaments, our

decision-makers, will have a say. We negotiated them, I was involved,

we reached a common decision, that is how the EU functions.

Do you agree, even if some regulations are dumped, others come

in their place, at least the UK will have decided, we will have taken

back control? Yesterday, Liam Fox refuse to fall

at leaving the customs union. It is argued we have to leave the customs

union and I suspect Nissan and other manufacturers will be out the door

because they will be subject to tariffs.

How would you do free trade deals if...

I am not in the Government. They are making these rules up as we go

along. What is the point of having a fancy

trade department striking free trade deals if Liam Fox says we might be

staying in the customs union? Why will Europe give us this pic and

make steel? Let us let us listen to Liam Fox.

There would be limitations on what we could do in terms

of tariff setting, which would limit what kind of deals you would do.

But we want to look at all the different things.

I hear people talking about hard Brexit and soft Brexit

as though it's a boiled egg we're talking about.

So Turkey, for example, is in part of the customs union

What we need to do before we make final decisions

How do you interpret that? There will be people like David Lammy who

say that was an indication we are not going to leave the customs union

or we will opt back into certain sectors that might make it easier

for agriculture or financial services. You are clear we are

leaving the customs union. I would like us to gain all the

benefits of the freedom to strike trade deals.

I think Liam Fox is right, at this stage, there are lots of options. It

is not a binary choice. Theresa May has been right in setting out the

fact there are many options and we will have to consider what is best

for Britain. Did he really say anything, Liam

Fox? What did he really say?

Nothing is what he said. He talked about it not being binary. The man

who before Somerset we are striking out free trade deals, now talking

about staying. They are making it up as they go along.

44% of our exports are to the EU, we should be very worried.

Let us return to regulation, and employment laws, we are bound by

European standards. Should the Government rollback

limits on working hours? It needs to be considered in the

mix. We need to take into account the needs of our employees,

businesses and industries. Different sectors have different needs for

their workforce. That needs to be part of a

discussion. Do you agree?

We have spent five years looking at this. The working Time directive was

a risk but Britain got an opt out. There are bits we have opted.

Are we suggesting we suggesting we go back to junior hospital doctors

having a 100 hour week? There is no appetite for that. The

agency workers directive, there was unhappiness in business. They agreed

a deal with the trade unions. They don't want to reopen that.

There was little in employment law is considered so I must Britain has

to get out. On climate change, the UK has been

ahead of its European neighbours on cutting carbon emissions. There has

been criticism of the effectiveness of the carbon trading programme.

Does Brexit allow us something new? Britain led the way with the climate

change act. The biggest cost on British business

is the carbon price floor introduced by... It was not a European measure.

Some say it doesn't work. So there is an opportunity for the

UK to do something? The Government could change, it

would be retrograde, would be to get rid of the radiation on coal-fired

power stations. If the Government wanted to undo the 30 years of work

and bring back coal instead of gas, that is one of their freedoms they

could gain. Most of the measures are already

British. Before we let you go, any plans in

the New Year for a return to politics?

I am working with my party already, I have helped in the by-election.

I may well get involved. Standing? I am already the candidate

in Twickenham. You may see me back as an MP.

Thank you. According to one popular theory,

voters around the world have this year rejected

the so-called "liberal elite". It's a distrust of this group

of affluent and powerful people that is said to be the driving force

behind some of 2016's biggest electoral upsets,

with the possible exception of Ore But our next guest, Ryan Shorthouse,

director of the Conservative think-tank Bright Blue,

says it's time for the liberal metropolitan elites

like him to strike back. Here's the life lesson that

I and countless others learned Work hard at school, go

to university and chase your dream But when you successfully do

all of this, you get lambasted for being a member

of the liberal metropolitan elite. And being against the elite,

specifically the liberal metropolitan elite, is now such

a common and winning narrative The left have prodded at this,

arguing that only an elite have prospered from years,

decades, of neoliberal orthodoxy. This is not true on a whole host

of things - education, Most people's lives have got better

and most people, apart from those who are still struggling,

are generally happy. But, surprisingly, those

on the right have indulged in this nonsense, too,

arguing that a disconnected and decadent elite have imposed

social liberalism and political But this idea of an elite

versus the people is a Marxist myth. It's simply not true

that society has become an elite and people,

both with united Every day in the newspapers,

for example, politicians And denouncing the existence

of an elite is indulging in class If a member of an elite has acquired

their position undeservedly, If someone in the elite behaves

irresponsibly or anti-socially, But just being a member

of the elite is not something These are people who excel

in a particular field. The right should want more

people to join the elite, You know, we shouldn't sneer

at or stereotype anybody and that includes people who live in cities

and have done well in life. What's wrong with a popular revolt,

a revolt against the status quo? People will be taking back control

of their lives. Well, I know this might not make me that popular...

Don't worry about that! The anti-elite story has been so

dominant and winning this year in western politics that I think we

need to expose it for what it is. It is quite ugly. We shouldn't blame

complexes were problems on any particular social group -

immigrants, the white working class and the liberal metropolitan elite.

It's the stuff of angry, ugly tribalism. The second thing to say

is, it is just that there is a kind of elite behind the scenes pulling

all these strings, imposing a dystopia on everybody. Every day in

the newspapers, we see businesses against government, government

against businesses. For example, government is trying to introduce a

higher minimum wage and an apprenticeship love. This doesn't

sound like an Ely all in it together imposing their agenda on everybody.

Let me put that if Suella Fernandes. This rather ugly, if it is a revolt

against the status quo and blaming immigrants or blaming your

neighbours or blaming the liberal metropolitan elite, it's an angry

reaction and is not actually true. I think representing a constituency

which is outside metropolitan elite area, speaking to my constituents on

a daily basis, their concerns are about the impact of uncontrolled

immigration on wages, jobs and services and I think, for them, they

need a voice for that and I feel that sometimes members of this

elite, this metropolitan group, do not take those concerns enough and

there is a disconnect between some of the voices that we hear and

actually people who are voting with their feet on the ground. Are you

standing up for the liberal metropolitan elite, David Lammy? The

liberal metropolitan elite, if it exists, is a long way from

Tottenham, where average incomes are about ?20,000, where you certainly

can't buy a house in a regular job. In fact, you probably can't even do

that if you're a junior consultant in London. So, in a sense, I'm with

you, I don't like the tribalism, but I do think that the Westminster

village and successive governments - this runs across knowledgeable

parties - are detached from quite significant sections of the

population and that's not a north/ south thing because I represent that

-- recognise that representing Tottenham, but there is a detachment

where the concerns of many people have not been addressed. Is it the

fault, though, of what we call the liberal metropolitan elite? Ryan

says in his film but just because people have been successful, they

may live in a city, may have acquired wealth and a certain

status, is it their fault that your constituents and Suella Fernandes's

constituents are feeling this disconnect? We got to examine the

liberal in that. There liberal games but we got on 20th century in terms

of rights that I would welcome but we've had a liberal laissez faire

economy in which many people have got rich but the majority have not,

wages have stagnated and you can't get on in life and access the good

life. I hold your party responsible for a lot of that but that's the

consensus that shut people out. Do you accept that, that actually it is

liberalism's fault? Some of the problems constituents are suffering

from today or complaining about is the result of liberalism, but it has

been foisted on them to some extent, being told what to believe and what

to think, particularly with the issue of immigration, that it is

always a good thing, and not everyone agrees with that? Actually,

the elite, which is the Government, technically, which has been in power

since 2010, has wanted to control immigration so it's untrue that

we've had uncontrolled migration. The Government have sought ways to

reduce it. But they've failed. They have failed to meet the target it up

I think that target is indiscriminate and not the best way

to control migration but you look at polling. Most Londoners, for

example, most people in the higher social groups, one some form of

control of migration. So it's not true that Londoners think very

differently from the rest of the country. That's a myth. On your

point about liberalism, I agree that people have certainly been left out,

there is a minority of people who feel left behind, and that requires

clever policy-making. I don't get the fault of liberalism. Over the

past few decades, on most indicators - education levels, health

standards, living standards - the majority of people in this country

have got better and someone will probably tell me I am out of touch

and don't understand how everyone else is living, but I can't talk to

everybody, but the Office for National Statistics does an annual

survey and asks how satisfied people are with their lives and most people

are generally or fairly satisfied. I want to take you to MPs and you've

got different constituencies but you are privately educated barrister, a

graduate of Harvard who became a London MP, you went to a private

girls' schooling pinna, where I was brought up, you may not be

metropolitan or liberal but you are part of the elite, aren't you? I did

not go to state school. I went to a very, very good state school. I've

been to Harvard law school. Of course I am part of an elite group.

My income puts me in part of an elite group but believe me, from the

working class background I've got, I've got many family members who

have not benefited in the way I have. What about you? This is about

aspiration. I come from a working-class background in Wembley,

where my father was unemployed for many years and we've had to struggle

as a family. But I'm a Conservative because I believe it is about rising

up the ladder of opportunity and true meritocracy, through hard work

and endeavour, it doesn't matter where you come from, the

Conservative Party values enable people to start where ever they are

and to realise their potential. You will both be sticking up for the

liberal metropolitan elite, then? I'm with you on immigration but I

think that probably there are some liberal, particularly the economic

liberal, arguments that are problematic to huge swathes of the

country. We have to end it there but thank you very much.

Now, even politics usually stops for Christmas.

And it's nearly time for the Parliament and even

the Daily Politics to pack up for a week or so.

But let's have a quick look at what's happening in the last few

Theresa May will deliver a statement to the commons this afternoon

to tell MPs about her trip to Brussels for last week's meeting

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister gives evidence to the Liaison Committee -

that's the super-committee made up of the heads of all the main

care and, of course, Brexit.

Tuesday sees the last Daily Politics of the year.

And the Commons also rises for the Christmas break.

Peers linger on until Wednesday, when you can also see the final

ministerial outing for Lord Freud, who is stepping down as an unpaid

Work And Pensions Minister after more than six years.

Friday sees the release of the Christmas singles

Will the cover of You Can't Always Get What You Want,

recorded in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox, get to number one?

And on Saturday, Theresa May will release her first Christmas

We're joined now by Kate Devlin from the Herald.

And Christopher Hope from the Telegraph.

They are probably demob happy! Crist of hope, what do you think the

challenge will be for Theresa May in the New Year? One word, Brexit. It

all starts really the second or third week of January when the

government will probably lose its appeal in the High Court in the

Supreme Court and then it is a race against the clock to try to get this

vote through the Commons and Lords to trigger Article 50. Then we are

almost straight into this great repeal bill, which will be the bill

of all bills, the mother or legislation, looking at repealing or

shifting EU law for Europe into this country, about 40% of all laws are

made in Europe and that will all have to get into one massive bill

about a foot deep. It will be an epic. You sound like you are looking

forward to it! What about Jeremy Corbyn? The polls of Babe grim

reading recently for the Labour Party, 17 or so points behind the

Tories, although an opinion poll today seems to but that gap at the

close at about seven points. What does he have to do? It is quite

strange to Jeremy Corbyn. In some ways he has backed himself into a

corner. One thing he probably does have to do is rely on strife with

his own backbenches because that is currently what Corbyn and his

supporters are claiming is the reason for these opinion polls being

so bad and were that to fall away without a rise in the opinion polls,

I think a lot of serious questions would be asked. He's also got quite

serious elections, local council elections, coming up next summer and

he probably needs to do a little bit better in those than he did last

year. That said, to his detractors, he didn't do as badly as was

expected last year. If the opposition isn't posing a huge

threat to Theresa May at the moment, that is what they feel certainly in

Conservative headquarters, is the threat going to come from within the

Tory party? Almost certainly, yes. You've seen George Osborne doing

very well on the Andrew Marr programme yesterday, Nicky Morgan

and other big beasts on the Tory backbenchers will start to sharpen

their clause once this whole issue of Brexit starts to get in the House

of Commons and they've got a mandate to start talking about it. I imagine

these guys in the Commons will support triggering Article 50 by the

end of March but the real battle starts in the summer, when you can

amend this huge bill, this great reform bill, great repeal bill,

however you put it. I totally agree with Kate, Jeremy Corbyn has become

irrelevant -- has to become relevant but that will take a few years and

in the meantime, the Tory backbenchers will flex their

muscles. What about the relaunch the Jeremy Corbyn in the New Year? When

everyone talks about a relaunch, you think they are in trouble. Very

true, and it's not usually a good thing to have said about someone,

especially when you consider what the relaunch are supposed to be

about, it is supposed to be about tapping into an idea of

authenticity, anti-politics, which has been incredibly popular this

year. We've seen it in a lot of popular campaigns. I would suggest

it is probably a fake authenticity, certainly from the likes of Donald

Trump presenting himself as a man of the people when he's a billionaire

businessman. And of course when you are going for authentic, relaunch is

kind of the kiss of death. Let's look back. Christopher hope, give me

your thoughts on -- 2016. I think it is the year of the peasants' revolt

it up if you think about 1381 when what Tyler marched on the capital,

it is basically that, the voters were told not to vote for Brexit by

politicians, most politicians, most ecologists, all the boss is big

companies, celebrities, everyone said, don't do it, and the people of

Britain gave a massive up yours to the establishment. I think it is

rather a moving moment, the fact that people felt they could say, no,

you are the servants of the people, you do what we say, we are going to

leave the EU. I think it's been an amazing year, which I will never

forget. I don't think anyone will ever forget it. What about your view

of 2016, Kate? I agree with Chris, it is a year in which everything has

been dominated by politics. I was very excited at the start of the

summer when Northern Ireland qualified for euros for the first

time in my living memory. Of course, a couple of weeks later we were put

out by Wales, two days after the referendum, leading to the joke at

home that Wales had but Northern Ireland out of Europe twice in one

weekend. The Christmas break! Now, we've already talked about some

of the year's biggest elections, that's the EU referendum and the US

presidential vote, But now, we're going to talk about

one you might just have missed. And that's the elections

for this year's delegates to One candidate from Durham University

swept to victory with this rather unusual pitch to his

fellow students. I'm running to be an NUS delegate

at this year's conference. Here are the pledges I'm

going to deliver for you. I pledge to construct

a giant statue. A giant statue of NUS

president Malia Bouattia so that students in Durham can see

how vitally important I pledge to cut back

the foliage so that our beautiful students' union building

is even more visible. I pledge to make sweeping

sw-sw-sweeping agrarian reform - a national priority.

Vote for to me to take out the rubbish.

I am the only candidates who has pledged to defeat Isis.

But, seriously, if you vote for me, I will vote against all irrelevant

grandstanding, self-aggrandising, self-defeating NUS policies that

only serve to discredit students as a whole.

And Tom Harwood, who won election as a delegate to the NUS conference

thanks in part to that campaign video, joins us now.

Congratulations. You are trying to poke fun at the state of student

politics, what are your issues? The NUS doesn't represent students

anymore. It is run by a narrow group of

people who come from a narrower spectrum of opinion who are not

representing the issues that matter to students.

You are trying to undermine the NUS? They do a good job themselves, with

their banning of newspapers on campuses, with their boycotting of

Coca-Cola because they have factories in Israel. The issues

which have nothing to do with the lives of students.

Students must have supported some of those issues?

That is a good point, the NUS sees itself as a legislator. Most

students see it as irrelevant, only 4% bothered to turn out. At Durham

we had delegates who have had identical opinions for years. As

soon as I ran my campaign, turnout was up 200%. People who are offered

a change go for it. Students have always campaigned on

global issues whether or not they could affect change. That is what

being a student in student politics is about. Many heads of the NUS have

gone on to be politicians. What is wrong with that?

Nothing is wrong with campaigning on global issues but you need to pick

the avenue to do it. Don't present -- Don't pretend to

represent all students. What are you going to do, put your

money where your mouth is and go along to conference with this?

Absolutely. I said as long as we are in the NUS I will work hard to make

it slightly less terrible. My weight is pushing forward

democratic reforms, hopefully one member one vote through.

The current resident has faced accusations of anti-Semitism and has

said some distasteful things, calling the University of Birmingham

a Zionist outpost for example. I hope to get more representative

people. What you think of his view of the

NUS? I am reluctant to get dragged into

student politics at seven -- Except to say I am with you in part.

I wasn't hugely involved in student politics at university. I found a

certain group of people would hijack a cause, political careerists in

their own party. I recognised that. Some of the anti-Semitism that has

gone on particularly I think is very worrying.

Do you support what Tom is trying to do.

I know there are some real issues around the cost of student housing.

That is something you would hope to see the NUS is taking up much

louder. It has campaigned on expensive

housing. The NUS is undermined on legitimate

issues when it uses covers as a platform to call for bringing down

the Government as every single president seems to do.

Sometimes perhaps they should focus on presenting a broader spectrum of

student opinion. Sadly, the NUS has lost credibility

and legitimacy because of a Kabbalah of people who do not represent the

body of students and have given it a bad name.

I was involved in student politics and saw it as a great opportunity to

learn more. It was an opportunity, it was fun,

we campaigned, helped in elections. Do you have any support?

Nationally? I won a landslide victory at Durham.

Generally there was a 300% increase in turnout but it was only 10%. I am

trying to highlight this. Up and down the country more people

are emulating campaigns like this. We might see a good batch of

antiestablishment delegates at the conference in April.

Thank you. Now, are you getting a bit tired

of hearing news programmes talking Because, at about this

time every December, that have defined the year,

as seen through the lens of the chief political photographer

of the Press Association. And he's had plenty

to keep him snapping. Welcome. What is your image of the

year? It is a hard one. A picture at the

beginning of the campaign in April. David Cameron, Paddy Ashdown and

Neil Kinnock, in a phone bank, making calls, campaigning. It was so

early, I think David Cameron thought... I don't think it was a

problem for him. Everyone is quite relaxed. It was a good campaigning

picture, a lot of fun. It changed as the campaign went on.

I don't think we would have seen that later closer to June the 23rd.

They all looked as if they were having fun representing the

different parties. Physical photographers are

effectively flies on the wall. You said it did get more uptight as the

months passed. On the subject of the campaigns,

with the results, talk us through one of the pictures you took the

morning after? First of all, 4am, I was with Nigel

Farage. I soon realised I needed to move and find out where Nigel Farage

was, and at four Rayaheen was declaring the result himself. He

came out punching the air, a very strong picture of him.

He looks pleased. He took no encouragement to do that.

He had been making his victory speech since 3:30am.

How things change. We did that. Suddenly a couple of hours later the

Prime Minister announced he would resign.

An hour later, the press conference with Boris Johnson and Michael Gove.

It was difficult to know where to be. Do I find where David Cameron

is? Boris? The results caught us by surprise. Where do I need to be now?

A busy morning. How would you describe the atmosphere? Where were

you on the night when the result came through?

I was in my constituency for the vote. The vote came through at 3am.

It became clear my considers the voted to leave the EU. I was with my

campaign is, I drove to London in the early hours and went to the Vote

Leave headquarters. Another big story, the reaction of

Jeremy Corbyn for a second time. How did that compared to last year?

I thought it would be the same but it wasn't. Last year, a huge

fanfare, a big deal, in central London. Lots of triumphalism. It

ended up with a rally in a pub around the corner.

This year, it was over in 15 minutes, Saturday morning. The

announcement would be at 12 noon. All done very quickly. They wanted

to get it out of the way before conference.

What about your recollection of the second?

I didn't engage. I found the biggest story of the year was Brexit. At the

time I felt very low that the Labour Party were caught up in this. I

didn't engage. I had engaged big-time in Brexit.

For me, the photo has to be of Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, who

should be celebrating, but are standing there like schoolboys who

have wrecked the room, looking really sombre and depressed at what

they have created. That is what struck me, at that news

conference, thinking they would come on with a certain amount of

smugness. They walked on ashen faced. The whole 20 minute press

conference, the same mood throughout. This was odd. They were

in shock. Some said they were thinking, what have we done? I don't

think that was the case. I think the result may have caught them by

surprise. An hour before David Cameron had announced he had

resigned. Maybe that had shocked them. They did not want to appear

victorious having lost their leader. Shock was the word for many during

these events. We can show you the Changing of the

Guard at number ten. You had a classic photo of David

Cameron and his departure. Here he is announcing he is going.

We had seen him come out with his resignation speech on the 24th of

June. This is the moment he left. The same day we knew Theresa May

would walk in. He/she is going in.

I did that picture an hour after photographing David Cameron.

I photographed him from the side because I realised his close

advisers were close to tears. I focused on them.

All the time I was concerned about getting inside number ten. I knew

she would be front page next day. Thank youth are taking us through

those key moments. And to our guests.

The One O'Clock News is starting over on BBC One now.

I'll be here at noon tomorrow for the last

Hello, I'm Charlie Brooker. Please join me for 2016 Wipe,

looking back at a year containing nothing but hard Brexit,