02/05/2017 Daily Politics

Hello and welcome to the Daily Politics.

Labour say they will hire 10,000 extra police officers

paid for by reversing cuts in capital gains tax.

But why didn't the Shadow Home Secretary

It was the dinner date from hell according to EU sources,

but should we really believe the account of a spurned lover?

It was 20 years ago today that Tony Blair marched down Downing Street

But what's the legacy of Labour's most electorally successful leader?

And an installation artist has been commissioned

What will Cornelia Parker make of the contest?

And with us for the whole programme today is someone who thinks politics

is more of a science than an art, political scientist, Philip Cowley.

First this morning, Labour have said they will create 10,000 more police

officers in England and Wales if they win the general election -

and they'll pay for the policy by reversing cuts to Capital Gains Tax.

But there's some confusion about how much it will cost.

In a radio interview earlier this morning

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said the sum was only ?300,000.

But that would only amount to ?30 per police officer.

She then corrected herself and said the figure was ?80 million.

In a further clarification, Labour said it would in fact cost

In the past couple of hours, Jeremy Corbyn was asked about that figure.

And Diane Abbott's interview. She directed the figure. -- corrected.

And it will be paid for by not going ahead with the cuts

REPORTER: Is it a bit embarrassing your Shadow Home Secretary

Trying to get voters to put their trust in you in this election?

It will be absolutely clear now, today and in the manifesto.

I'm not embarrassed in the slightest.

That was Jeremy Corbin, the Labour leader.

I'm happy to say Diane Abbott is with me now. It is embarrassing? It

is embarrassing that you don't know your figures on a key policy. I do

know the figures, and I did seven interviews that morning and that was

the seventh. I do know my figures. You did not know them in that

interview. It was with LBC. We can have a listen. How much were 10,000

police officers cost? -- would. If we recruit 10,000 policemen and

women over a four-year period, we believe it will be about ?300,000

will stop ?300,000? What are you paying them? ! Sorry. How much will

they cost? They will cost... It will cost... About ?80 million. About ?80

million? Yes. That is hugely embarrassing. Not just misspeaking,

you just don't know your figures and you are not on top of your brief. If

I didn't know my figures why was I able to do six other interviews and

give the figures correctly. You need to ask why the Conservative Party is

so anxious to move the debate away from the 20,000 police officers. We

will come onto that. But back to the interview, never mind that you did

six interviews, this is an election campaign and, front benches and

government ministers are expected to do many interviews and this was a

major policy announcement. You want to make this a cornerstone of your

manifesto. You didn't know the figures. I did know my figures. Why

didn't you say then? I misspoke. If I didn't know them I wouldn't have

been able to repeat them correctly in six other interviews. Which other

interviews did you correct them? In one other I heard you said it was

all going to be in the manifesto. I did six other interviews. You

decided to talk about the figures and they are basic figures.

?300,000, which would have meant 30 pounds per police officer, that is

embarrassing. Did you not know them at all and you were guessing when

you were asked about it on air? I knew the figures. I repeated there

many times. I have not heard you repeat there many times. You don't

want to talk about policing, I'm concerned about that, which is

something the public is concerned about, anyone to go over and over

the Nick Ferrari interview. That issue of fault, Diane Abbott. We

were prepared to talk about the issue of policing and the claims you

are making that the police force has been underfunded anyone to recruit

more officers, but by going on air in a major interview where you just

completely fluffed the figures, whether you knew them or not, that

does not do your cause any good. The public will understand that you are

not willing to talk about the real issues, and the real issues are that

we have lost 20,000 police officers since 2010 and we are seeing a rise

in fired on crime. You want to be Home Secretary. Yellow macro --

violent crime. I dispute that you did know those figures, and how can

you claim that you want to be Home Secretary in charge of the police

forces of England and Wales question not have you instilled confidence --

England and Wales? People that listened to any of the interviews I

gave this morning with the exception of the LBC interview will know that

I do know the figures and I wish you were prepared to talk about

policing. We are going to talk about that. We have a Conservative on the

programme, but people will be worried that you are not across what

you should be in terms of this brief that you came on the airwaves to

announce as a key part of your holiday. Is it important to attach

the right figures to major spending commitments? Of course, and that is

why I did that in six interviews out of seven. It is also important that

this programme is prepared to talk to the Labour spokesperson about

policing because people deserve to know what the Labour Party is trying

to do. You are trying to reverse the cuts to capital gains tax, so what

level will it be under Labour? We are going to reverse the cuts in

capital gains tax in order to fund... But what level will it be?

Just let me say what it is important to have 10,000 more police meant

because we have lost 20,000 under Theresa May -- more policemen. We

have seen a rise in violent crime and we have some of the lowest rates

of capital gains tax in Europe. What will they be under Labour? What will

the two levels of capital gains tax be? We will bring them back to where

they were. What are those levels? It will save us nearly ?2.7 billion and

that is what we are going to use, to pay for the 10,000 policemen and

other areas of our manifesto, and in case you say that none of it is

costed, we will produce a manifesto which is costed and is paid for and

we hope as the campaign progresses that people like yourself will be

more willing to talk about the issues. We will, but voters want to

know that they can trust you with the figures and the finances. One

more time, because I think you donor what the levels of capital gains tax

would be if you reverse them -- I think you don't know. It is not the

figure we have put out, that is the figure in the government's on Red

but, if we reverse the cuts that the government has announced, that we

will raise at least ?2.7 billion -- Redbook. We believe we can put that

money to better use than on tax cuts for the top 5%. Dominic, we can have

a look at the substance of the issue, there have been cuts, and

last month the leader of policing said said it is in a perilous state,

the issue of policing, and that is a real message for the Conservatives

to take into the election after being in power for seven years. Our

message is that if you are at the crime survey for England and Wales,

violent crime is down by 22%. Not accorded to the macro -- according

to police recordings. It is also true to say, on the crime survey,

there has been an uptake against the person although the ONS said that is

not statistically important, but you will not get more investment in the

NHS and policing unless you have got a strong handle on the economy and

just look at the shambles of Diane Abbott this morning. Imagine if that

was regarding the economy as a whole. We have discussed that as a

whole. We are going to look at a further cut to policing under the

Conservative government? There will be any further cuts? I was asked to

talk about Brexit, but I'm happy to talk about crime. At the moment we

are happy to talk about our record. There have been difficult decisions

when it comes to the police budget. It has dropped by 22%. The public

concern that it -- the public care most about crime and that has

dropped. They said there was also an increase, and you will know that

Biden crime, and knife crime is what frightens the public -- violent

crime. You can't answer the basic figures, how you going to pay for

this and how many police you are going to put on the street. You

can't answer questions about your record in losing police officers.

Violent crime is down by 22%. The independent watchdog says what is

happening is an unconscious form of rationing. If you want to be

measured on your record, according to the watchdog that record is not

very good. You can take a selective quote. It is not a selective quote.

What I'm going to point to, since 2010, seven years, what has happened

to crime and violent crime, which is the attack Labour are going on, it

is down, and the public know it. No one seems the thinks Diane Abbott is

going to be a strong custodian of law and order. Do you accept... I

think Joe is asking the questions. Knife crime has gone up in the

Metropolitan Police area. I don't have the geographical figures.

England and Wales, violent crime down by 22% since 2010, and there

has been an increase recently, but even the ONS said it is

significantly insignificant, and we will run on our record, you have

nothing credible to say on this issue and no one trusts you on this

issue because you cannot get the basic facts right. There was a press

release which was put out by Labour which mentioned the 300 mil in

pounds figure. -- ?300 million figure. You did not use that in your

interview and that reduces your credibility and allows opponents to

attack you in the way that Dominic is. It reduces the media credibility

because they are not prepared to talk about. You can blame the media,

but it doesn't help your cause if you give ammunition to your

opponents. What does it do to Labour campaigners when they are having to

fight fires unnecessary fires on a key cornerstone? What people want to

know is what the government is going to do about the rise in violent

crime and gun crime in areas like London and this is what we are not

hearing. The ONS says the uptake in violent crime is small, but they say

that this is a warning on what is to come. In London there has been an

increase. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner says she is worried

about that, you saying that has nothing to do with police cuts?

Across the board, what voters worry about is not what we put in in terms

of either money or in terms of numbers of police officers and

PlayStation is, they care about the end product -- and police stations.

But we are not complacent. If you look at the changes we have made on

stop and search and also sentences for knife possession, we will

continue to be vigilant and have zero tolerance on those most serious

levels of crime for the what we are not going to do is take one isolated

statistic for one isolated area and not defend our record. Which is

strong. The ONS says even after taking better reported into account,

homicides and knife crimes are showing small but genuine increases.

People may ask if cuts are going to continue under a Tory government if

you win the election, those figures are only going to increase. What the

country understands is we have to look at our code according to our

cloth and you can't rely on the Labour Party for that -- we have to

cut our code according to our cloth. You have got to trust the strong

leadership and only the Tories are giving this to you. Looking at this

issue. I remember Tony Blair. Tough on the causes of crime. Could this

become a bigger issue? The exchange has become symbolic of the exchange

so far and the election so far, Labour have put out a policy which

they have done nearly every day, and a policy which does very well when

you poll about individual policies. The attack then comes not be policy

detail but on whether Labour can deliver and that is basically what

we are going to see every week for the rest of the election. If there

is an import to Diane's interview this morning, that is it, because it

speaks to confidence which is the attack line that the Conservatives

are pushing. In this exchange it is policy detail against competence.

And that is what we will see for the next 5-6 weeks. Thanks for joining

us. Now, when European Commission

President, Jean Claude Juncker, met Theresa May at Downing Street

last week, the European Commission described

the meeting as "constructive." But an alternative account of the

meeting appeared in a German In it, an EU source was quoted

as describing Theresa May as being "in a different galaxy"

and that Mr Juncker as "ten times more sceptical" about the prospects

for a deal on leaving the meeting. Our political correspondent, Vicki

Young is with the Prime Minister in the west country this afternoon

and joins us now from St Austell. Give us the account from Downing

Street of the meeting. They say they will not get involved in any kind of

war and they do not recognise what has been said. What is interesting

is that they will have to get used to the idea of what we have seen

since the EU left the vote last year, that Theresa May has not been

able to dictate what is going on. She was still able to do that

through the House of Commons, but now those negotiations are under way

there will be two sides to the story. They will not be very pleased

that this version has been leaked out by whoever did that, and they

will continue to approach this in a very constructive manner and have to

be careful with their words as they go into this, saying they want

Brexit to be good is no reason they shouldn't be that that is the

challenge from the other side. A beautiful backdrop there, Vicky, in

Saint or stall, why is the prime Minster there? No coincidence she

has come here, because this used to be the Liberal Democrat heartlands,

but in the last election they were walked in washed away in a blue tide

with the Conservatives taking every seat, and Theresa May is here to

make sure there is no chance of a Liberal Democrat comeback. And it's

a pattern we have seen already, coming to areas where there has been

a vote in favour of Brexit, and a sizeable Ukip vote, and the

Conservatives are confident they can attract some of those people who

would look towards Theresa May is the person to deliver Brexit. But it

will be interesting to see how the kind of stories we have been hearing

about, the difficulties she could face and the negotiations to come,

how that will go down and it would help her in some ways. The

Conservatives hope that people will look and say the negotiations will

be tough and she has promised to deliver for Britain and in areas

like this which voted to leave, they might look at her and see that as a

vote winner. There is no sizeable Labour vote in these areas, so she

is seen as someone in contest with the Liberal Democrats. They say even

though they are a pro-EU party, they say in local elections, even in

areas that voted to leave they have done well, but I think the Tories

feel pretty confident they will be able to hold onto many of the seats

in the South West. And joining us now from Brussels

is the Irish MEP and Vice President of the European

Parliament, Mairead McGuinness. So, the gloves are off, EU officials

are briefing against the UK in the European press. Is this the way the

negotiations should be conducted? That is a tabloid version of

probably what is going to have to happen over the next couple of

weeks, which is that both sides have set out their negotiating

priorities, the parliament, the council and the commission are clear

and the United Kingdom is in the middle of an election campaign, so

we will have to wait for some time until we see absolute clarity from

the UK side. But I think both parties in the negotiations know

that they have to reach agreement on a number of issues, that we have a

certain amount of time in which to do that, and that we do have to get

on with it. My own view is that the renegotiations cannot start until

July, or maybe after August, so that would tighten the time frame, but in

a sense preparatory work is what is really important so the council

meeting at the weekend is crucial because of the clarity it has

delivered on citizens rights and budgetary issues and on the issue of

Ireland. And also from the Parliamentary side. Your voice is

quite low in my earpiece. I will shout as loud as I can

without it being embarrassing in the studio. You said this was tabloid

gossip. There was an article in a German newspaper, a broadsheet

newspaper in Germany, do you think this sort of tone that those sorts

of comments that were briefed to the newspaper is the way the

negotiations should be conducted by the EU? Clearly there were a number

of people at this famous dinner. What hasn't been discussed is the

food. The words were discussed. What has emerged is apparently, I wasn't

at the dinner, I can only reflect in what I read in the English version

of the article. There was a sense in which they sat down together,

president Juncker and Prime Minister May, there was perhaps not a meeting

of minds on the issues. There may be a view from one side there's no

understanding. Beyond that, this will play out over a number of days,

maybe weeks, because there is an election campaign, there is a

reality at all levels in the Parliament, commission and council

and on the UK side as well, when the negotiations start we'll have to

leave that outside of the room and deal with issues that matter to

people. It is about a question of border in Northern Ireland, we will

not allow that to happen again. It is budget and citizen's rights.

Dominic, if these reports are right, they sounded pretty comprehensive,

the Prime Minister, according to the briefings is either being poorly

briefed herself on the negotiations or is hopelessly naive. Which is it?

Neither, they are not credible, those reports. We can expect, on all

sides to get tittle tattle which makes it into the media. Mairead

McGuinnessaged I will stay resolute. Theresa May won't be pushed around.

Equally, be constructive, sober and positive guying forward. ? No

contrast to the media tittle tattle, the EU finalised their guidelines.

We probably agree on two thirds of issues. We will have two years on

the final third. Lots of gaps still a bridge. If you are going to have

tough moments in negotiation, who do you trust to lead us through it? I

would say Theresa May has a firm hand on negotiations. That's your

line. If you're looking at the terms and tone of the negotiation, even

Mairead McGuinness said there wasn't a meeting of mints... It is the

start of the negotiations. I accept. That but Theresa May saying we want

to makes Brexit a success and asking clawed Juncker to say the same,

that's naive. He needs to make it look less attractive to leave the EU

than it is to remain part of the EU. Isn't that a naive thing to say in

respect of the EU partners? It would be politically count he prods Octive

for the EU. Jean-Claude Juncker isn't the only voice in this. I was

reading the speeches in February mar raid McGuinness made. The Irish will

not wanted trade barriers to go up. It would be damaging to the UK

agricultural market. Let's not focus on loose, loose. If the negotiations

continue down the lines of Theresa May being on another galaxy and, as

you say, there wasn't a meeting of minds when they met then, but

actually t will end up with economic mass seism come on the side of the

EU if they make it difficult for the UK? Theresa May is in an election

campaign. The EU of the 27 are on a campaign where they're united to

deal with Brexit. What's clear in this Parliament is people have got

over the shock and disappointment and and are pragmatic setting out

what the issues are. I hope we can reach a good agreement. It requires

us all to stand back and look at the issues. There has to be some

progress on the withdrawal agreement. I believe we'll need a

transition period. We want to have a good trading relationship. There's

no doubt the situation, after Brexit, cannot be the same as today.

That's where there are some difficult negotiations ahead. First

of all, for people to recognise that. To some extent, the reporting

of that particular dinner may do no harm that there were different views

coming. Perhaps there was no meeting of minds. It may focus minds after

the election campaign about what can be achieved and how. Really, I

always say if we put people first, then I think we can work towards

solutions that are good for the European Union. And that perhaps

don't harm the UK. After all, you've made the decision. We've to deal

with the consequences of it. We don't want to see the EU of 27

disunited. From an Irish point of view, we know well our issues will

only be defended and won by the EU 27 sticking together. When you look

at Ireland's position, whose side would you say you're on, mar raid

McGuinness? Is it your biggest trading partner which you share a

land border or Jean-Claude Juninger and the 27? Are you saying whose

side are you on? The sound is really bad. Are you on the UK's bigger

trading partner? I'll cut across you. I hard. Good. In terms of

sides, I've said this to minister David Davis, the Republic of

Ireland, we're part of the European Union of 27. Our Taoiseach has made

that clear. We sit on that side of the table and negotiate with the UK.

We have a long history with the UK. We are neighbours, traders, as you

are with us. We both value that relationship and want to make sure

it is not deeply damaged. Or food sector, farmers would be really

badly affected. When it comes to sides, you have to understand there

are two sides. We're firmly with the EU 27. It allows us to understand

fully the issues which affect both of us. If you want absolute clarity,

the EU 27. Mar raid said there has to be some progress made on the

withdrawal, the divorce bill. Without some sort of progress made,

they're not going to talk about an EU trade deal. Do you accept that

now? It has to be done 234 stages? I certainly welcome the fact the EU

position has shifted. We need to tie up all the details of the exit deal

before moving on. I'm fine with that. The think the Government is

too. We need to work out the principles which will inform the

exit agreement. Whether on financial liabilities and as sets we would be

entitled to, be also EU nationals. We need to make rowing rest on the

future agreement. There will be no deal until we agree the whole deal.

The fundamental principle of the way the EU goes about its diplomacy.

When you listen to what Government ministers said so far, the snap

election being called. Theresa May said she wanted to strengthen her

hand because of the opposition. Amber Rudd implied and suggested it

was about being given a mandate to be more flexible. You're pleased EU

has moved, you say. Are you going to move and would be support the

Government moving too in these negotiations? I think any

negotiation, you need a leader, set of principles, objectives. We've got

that. There will come a moment when in order to get that win/win deal,

there will be need to be flexibility. I think, not just

because we've a strength in mandate after from the British people after

this election, but not having the transitional arrangement by an

election. That will be useful. It was interesting to see the CBI and

British Chamber of Commerce agreeing with that. Business feels more

confident about that. In terms of elections, mayor raid, German

elections, not just Theresa May having elections here when

discussing these negotiations. If Northern Ireland decided to hold a

border pole, is it your understanding a united Ireland would

have automatic membership? This was expressed on Saturday. What the Good

Friday Agreement outlines so that in the eventual time if it occurred a

referendum of the people decided they wanted a united Ireland, that

new entity would be if you can members of the European Union. This

was important that be depth with now and is on the table. From our side,

I represent a border constituency with Northern Ireland, I travel

through Northern Ireland to get to my constituents in Donegal. It is

important the EU 27 understand the Irish questions. The point they may

all the time is peace is so important. It is as important as mix

and % much more important. On the staging of the negotiations, we need

goodwill for real progress to be made. I think after election

campaigns, when we look at the timeline ahead, goodwill will be

found hopefully on both sides. Philip, what do you make of the

reporting of this meeting? You use the word divorce, and anyone

who is in a divorce this is to one side of the marriage, and they get a

false picture, and is some scepticism is required. I'm

interested in the politics of this, some of the people discussing the

report implied it will do Theresa May damage, but I thought it would

have the opposite. She will be able to present herself as standing up

for British interests against Europeans who are snooty and aloof

and looking down on Britain and willing to do us harm and that will

do the Conservative message no harm at all in this election. There are

many people that do not regard the EU institutions as doing a good

thing. That is how she will present it and I think that is how it will

go down with most voters. Thanks. So, it was 20 years ago today that

Tony Blair walked triumphant down Downing Street to the

delight of adoring crowds - all Labour party

activists, of course. It was the first of three general

election wins for the Labour Party. Tony Blair remains the most

successful leader of the Labour Party to date.

If you'd said to me at 18, 19, you're going to be a politician, I

# May be, you're never gonna feel this way

# You're never gonna know me but I know you

# And I can't see the woods from the trees...#

Piccadilly Circus flashing on the screen there.

# Can only get better now I've found you...#

It has been an immense privilege to serve as the Prime Minister

of the United Kingdom over the last six and a half years.

Two of the new Conservative intake of MPs, Andrew

Lansley for Cambridgeshire South and Theresa May, the new member of

# I look at things now in a different light than I did before

# Can only get better now I've found you

# Can only get better now I've found you #.

We're joined now by the Guardian commentator, Paul Mason, who's

a critic of Tony Blair and former Labour strategist, who's a big fan.

Welcome to both of you. A bit of a stature for you. Were you a Labour

man in 1997, Paul Mason? I was a Labour man, and if Jeremy Corbyn

gets in on the 9th of June it will be a different set of people

welcoming him. I was there the next morning, at work, on a business

magazine, where people work voting Labour, the rank and file, and the

leaders were Tories, but some of them said they had flipped, they

couldn't vote Tory and that was the nature of Tony Blair's achievement.

The coalition then was too broad? No, it is the one that Tony Blair

built in power with people whose wealth is not owned basically and

with the City, basically. The bigger stake of Blair and Brown -- the big

mistake. They just got too close to people with money. Do you agree? I

agree with part of that. The biggest failure I think of the Labour

government under Blair and Brown was that we drifted too far from the

unions and that movement. The TUC and the unions needed modernising.

If we had invested more time in the union movement and modernising it, I

think that was a mistake, and we are paying the price now. Jeremy Corbyn

was put into power, and Ed Miliband before him, by failing unions. It

should be stronger and more representative than it is. Tony

Blair should have been bolder? Those five pledges were too modest? You

should always under promise and over perform and in his actions you can't

fault him in terms of... Tax credits, a fire hose playing on

rising inequality, the things he achieved which people thought were

possible, the Buddha Steve reflected the modesty of what people thought

government could do -- the modesty reflected the modesty of what people

thought government could do. He was bowled. People criticise him for his

foreign policy issues. Regarding domestic successes, the minimum wage

and building new hospitals and schools, devolving power, do you

concede that they did have a long list of achievements? I celebrated.

There was a debate within New Labour, overtop Dan Flavin is and

bottom-up, community politics -- over top down Fabian is. Millions of

working class voters are moving away from Labour because they don't think

they are being empowered by. I would argue for top I don't agree with

that analysis. That forgets John Prescott's red achievement. He

brought in the decent homes programme. 2 million homes

modernised and he also brought in Brownfield development, the city

revolution. If you go to major cities they are a great success

because of the work of Tony Blair and John Prescott. If it were such a

great success at every level, why is there so much hatred of Tony Blair?

In my view, sometimes you can win too much, the Tory party have taken

a long time to recover from Margaret Thatcher's great victories. She won

so much, they ran from her 20 years, and the same thing is happening in

the Labour Party. Tony won too much and that spokespeople. Do you agree?

-- spooks people for top I agree with some of that, and they were

desperate to get over the betrayal myth which has hampered Labour, the

problem was, the majority was so great, that why are you doing these

modest wings. I spoke to one Labour MP and he said he got his first

betrayal that one week after being elected. The problems with Iraq in

2003, but the left was already fairly bitter about Labour, before

that, you can find complaints that Labour was selling out and they were

achieving the change that had been promised. They did achieve the

change that they promised, but because of the majority people had

this perception that Britain was going to change overnight. They did

not expect that big a landslide and they could have reformed things in a

more meaningful way but they had not planned for it and they did not want

to make a mistake. The left of the Labour Party have unfairly

criticised them for that. The left is not obsessed with the

underachievement aspect. Foreign policy? It is Iraq. Number one. And

then the lead up to the catastrophe of 2008. It was not just that they

overregulated. Under regulated is the claim. Tony Blair was attacking

the FSA on being too hard on the City, but if you do that and the

economy explodes, no wonder that the people who pay the price say, never

again you are going to do that. What about the open-door policy on

Eastern European immigration for top one Tony Blair's greatest single

achievements. The people who joined the European Union had the right to

live in Britain. What about transition arrangements? We had jobs

vacant and we needed people to come here. The second thing, cementing

the accession countries into the European Union was a way of

strengthening our geopolitical position. We wanted those European

partners. I disagree with that. My disagreement is stronger with

hindsight. He opened the door, first of all, they did not prepare people.

They said not many will come, but millions came. And then they kept

denying that there was going to be any impact on people's wages and

conditions and the concept of citizenship, this is an abstract

contract, we don't care that your grandad worked in this factory,

somebody else can arrive with the same citizenship as you and I think

people were and are prepared by us, the Labour movement and party for

that shock. -- under prepared. That boosted support for the left and

then Ed Miliband and now Jeremy Corbyn as leader. One of the

interesting things. There has been a Twitter feed reliving 1997, and it

was interesting, the extent which Euroscepticism was there bubbling

away with the referendum party at the time. One other point about

1997, we saw people walking their into Downing Street on the day Tony

Blair became Prime Minister, and I saw a map of the route he would take

you where everyone would be. That was planned. To the very last

detail. Nothing on that scale is happening in this election because

this is a snap and action and everyone is flying by the seat of

their pants and that is why you get the mistakes we have this morning

about police numbers and why we have had compatible gaffes. We'll Labour

ever win a landslide election again? -- will. Not long ago people were

writing off the Tory government, and not that long ago people said he

would never get a majority government again and I think that

will be proven wrong very soon. Thanks for joining us.

Can you be a Labour MP if you're not prepared to support your leader

Well, Labour MP John Woodcock thinks so and he wants to be a Labour

Here he is talking to some of his constituents.

I don't think he would be fit to be Prime Minister,

even if it were possible that it was going to happen.

To try to reassure people like you and your son, I said,

I will stand up for the Labour Party in Parliament.

And so, if it came to it I wouldn't allow it to happen.

John Woodcock joins us now. There is a meeting tomorrow, you worried you

are about to be deselected? I hope not. Like so many of my Labour

colleagues across the country, I have two, after recovering from the

shock of the election being called, we have been working our socks off,

we have thousands of leaflets going out. That are arriving on people's

doorsteps as we speak. Paid for by the National Labour Party. I really

hope that I will be able to go through with the other candidates to

become the official candidate. How can you stand under a Labour banner

when you will not back the Labour leader to run the country? It is

highly unusual. I understand why it is controversial for many people but

I just thought, I should be honest. People know what I think about

Jeremy's leadership qualities. They have a particular view in the barrow

about Jeremy Corbyn, -- in Barrow about Jeremy Corbyn, much of it to

do with the views he has on Trident. So rather than being asked question

and having to fight it, which I would have been doing physics weeks,

I thought I would being honest. -- doing for six weeks. But you can't

stand as a Labour Party candidate after what you have said. He would

not have your vote. You would rather see Theresa May, Conservative, as

Prime Minister, then Jeremy Corbyn? That is not what I have said. Who do

you want to be Prime Minister? Labour will not win this election.

The polls have been wrong before. The Tories are desperate to make you

believe and the public believe that the polls are wrong. They're going

around saying it's really on a knife edge. No, the reason they do that is

because they want an absolute whitewash. They want hundreds of

Tory MPs coming back. The question is not actually who will be Prime

Minister. We know that Theresa May will come back. It is whether

communities like Barrow in Furness, communities across the north of

England will retain a strong Labour voice rather than a Tory nodding

dog. When you say Jeremy Corbyn will not have your vote, what does that

mean in practice? In the purely theoretical circumstances, because

this is not going to happen, but, if it came to it, if there was a

majority I would demand Labour picked a leader who could better

command a majority in the House of Parliament and could be a better

Prime Minister. As I say, Jo, this is a completely theoretical

circumstances because we know that the Tories have called this election

because they are 20 points ahead in the polls. Would you stand as an

independent? I want to be on the Labour ticket. I want to be the

official candidate. I have poured all my resources into that. We had a

really difficult meeting with my local party members. As you can mam,

strong views were aired. We calm out of that meeting resolving to do the

very best we could to keep the Tories out. It is ironic, many of

the people who talk about a progressive alliance, it seems to be

the ones who want to stop me being the candidate in Barrow in Furness

and hand the seat on the plate to the Tories... John Woodcock, I'll

have to finish it there. Philip, can he really be the Labour candidate?

This election? I'm ask the sceptical. That question of who you

back is not unimportant. You need to decide which party and leader? When

it comes to a vote of confidence, who do you back even if it is

theoretical. John Woodcock's not saying much more than #3r50i6 Attlee

other Labour MPs are saying. There is a difference between private and

publicly? Absolutely. A lot of people on the doorsteps are saying

Jeremy Corbyn will not be Prime Minister. You can have me as your

Labour MP. I'll stand up for the area. You don't want a massive

Conservative majority. In that sense, a lot offed woodcock message

is being said by Labour MPs on doorsteps across the country. You

says speblingt he's gone too far. You' just being honest, perhaps more

so than some of his Labour... I know other Labour MPs said they'd rather

have Theresa May as Prime Minister than Jeremy Corbyn. They won't say

that publicly. He's not saying that. No, he didn't say that, nor did

Neil. Any Labour Prime Minister is better than a Tory Prime Minister.

You've spoken to Labour candidates who would pre-Theresa May?

Privately. But it is a purely theoretical question. We will know

that in June. Now, on Thursday there are

local elections across the UK. In Scotland, the SNP hope to make

further headway in places that have and a resurgent Scottish

Conservative Party Adam's been Glasgow to

gauge the parties' prospects. The crown jewel of Scottish local

government, the home The City Council controls an annual

budget of ?2.2 billion and is a big influence on the lives of every

Glaswegian. Labour have been in charge

since the year of my birth, 1980, but the SNP are desperate

to seize control. Let's take our vision to the people

and let's do this, OK. The SNP has tried and failed

to win here before. Now the big idea on the

leaflets is people power. Giving each ward

?1 million to spend. If they wanted to run a project

in the community they can go to the community council

and they can make that decision themselves, the people,

the local community. Where they didn't have

that chance before. After four decades in charge,

Labour is trying to look It's continuity, of trying to change

and transform the city of Glasgow. We've invested heavily in our school

estate and we've radically transformed our housing estate

and we've got ambitions now to have a technological revolution

in the schools where youngsters will have access to tablets

and iPads to make sure they can get The 454,000 voters on the River

Clyde make the choice using a proportional system called

the single transferable vote, STV, which means the other

parties do get a look in. It means there are no

votes which are wasted. People can have perceptions

in different elections that their vote might not

count for anything. Which means it's super exciting

and it's very important that everybody gets to the polls

and makes their voice heard. One-party politics is not a good

idea and I think we're seeing that nationally at the moment,

having one party in control, in the Last time round the Tories won

a single councillor, but this time they're trying

to reach out beyond leafy Handing leaflets,

speaking to people. Are there wards that you would not

have campaigned in before? We're campaigning right

across the city for every vote. And I think for the first

time people are coming What ever happens here in Glasgow,

the result will tell us Have Labour gone as

low as they can go? Have the SNP gone

as high as they can? How strong is the Tory

resurgence here in Scotland? All really useful information ahead

of the general election in June. Let's pick up on those questions.

Ruth Davidson says peak has been reached. Labour holding on to

Glasgow. Critically important to them. And the resurgence of the

Tories general. Well, the interesting thing is they use STV.

What it means in most councils in Scotland, you don't have single

party control in the way you do across large swathes of England or

Wales. Glasgow is one of the few councils left in Scotland which is

single-party controlled by Labour. There was a lot of talk last time it

was fought in 2012 it would fall and cease to be held by Labour. I think

this time it is probably coming. There is an interesting question

about whether Labour can cling on to the few councils it controls. And

whether the SNP can do well enough to push for single party control in

a few other councils. Broadly speaking, what's the impact of the

General Election on these local elections? I think it is really

weird. We are are we've hardly talked about them in the last couple

of weeks. They've got completely drowned out by the General Election.

You've all the Scotland, all of Wales and the English shire counties

up for election. The Metro mayors. A lot going on. It is about 5,000

council seats in total. One is it will tell much less telling about

the general election. They are not that good a read across. And second,

the impact the General Election will have on the local elections because

it is being fought in the middle of this general election campaign. That

we don't know yet. In is sense, it is being overshadowed, do you think

more attention should be given to these local elections as an

indication of what's coming a few weeks later? In their own right it

is important. We should be focusing on it more because of not what it

will tell us about the General Election but what it tells us about

local government. George Osborne's first day

as a Newspaper editor, Boris Johnson gets a taste

of his own medicine and a council seat in Wales

where no one's standing. Here's Ellie with the Daily Politics

desk of election news. Theresa May was busy this weekend

but then, so were the people Don't worry, there's still five

weeks to find someone at home. Amber Rudd's been tweeting how

excited she is to be reselected for further chances to look

awkward in high vis. Strangely calm as the Lady of May

and terrified driving a boat. Elsewhere, in election news,

finally the purple smoke emerged over Hartlepool and the Ukip leader

Paul Nuttall announced he would be standing as a candidate

125 miles away in Boston Skegness. Now, remember Boris Johnson last

week calling Jeremy Corbyn... You're is a muddle

headed mugwubble... Today, Labour's Deputy Leader Tom

Watson labelled the foreign secondary a Kaagy handed

cheese-headed fob doodle. An election of sensible debate and

dictionaries! A dictionary might have been useful for whoever wrote

this Labour campaign leaflet. Blocking unstainable housing and

sporting fcilities... He'll maybe take comfort in knowing his ex-wife

Karen failed in her own nomination. Gloria has been told when the

election is following this campaign video. The choice of the 9th June.

Anyone wanting to vote for her or anyone else on June 9thth might want

to consider getting in a day earlier on election day! George Osborne's

starting an another new role today as editor of the London Evening

Standard. I have to get in there. We've a paper to get off stone.

George, it's all done on computer these days. The Government won't

appeal against the ruling on autodiesel cast before the General

Election. It wanted to delay its air pollution strategy. And finally,

spare a thought for the 1,000 or so people who live in Usker. A little

place near Breck enwhere no-one wants to stand to be councillor. It

looks set to be unrepresented as people got to the other pole pole,

the local elections. Now, the sculptor Cornelia Parker

has been commissioned as the official artist

of the upcoming general election, the fifth time someone

has been given the role. Cornelia is a former Turner Prize

nominee famed for her installations including blowing up a shed and

mimicking the house from the film Psycho on the roof of the

Metropolitan Museum of Art She was selected by the Speaker's

Advisory Committee on Works of Art, and will be given ?17,000

to capture the essence The final artwork will join the

Parliamentary Art Collection Why you did you want to accept the

role? I was working in America a lot last year. I was obsessed with the

American elections. Then, also the Le Pen, Macron, it seems like a very

pivotal moment with Brexit. I only knew a week ago I was up for this.

The whole snap election and snap... You weren't aLen in your surprise.

There were many others. Any ideas popped into your head in the week

about how you might reflect it? There have been ideas. Some have not

or are not repeatable. Shame, tell me about those afterwards. Anything

bearing in mind you have to show this piece of work? I videoed

Halloween on my iPhone in New York in relation to the American general

elections. A full screen video piece. The politics of my work is

open to interpretation. It is there. Bubbling through? It is. Can we

expect something explosive to coin a phrase? I don't know. I heard David

Cameron's got a nice new shed. He has. I'm taking photographs daily of

mundane things which might have a political slant. I've just lost my

social media virginity. Congratulations! I'm doing

Instagram. Election artist 2017 if anyone wants to check in on my

images. What is the point of election art? I don't know. I

suppose it is a bit like war art. You're embedded somehow. You observe

and reflect on it, I suppose. The work goes on display in accept. I'll

have time to look back on it all and work out what's happening. Let me

draw this to a close! The 1pm news is starting

over on BBC One now. I'll be back at 1130 tomorrow

with Andrew for live coverage This is perhaps

the most unstable moment