:00:06. > :00:31.Now it is time for Dateline London. Welcome to Dateline London. Labour
:00:31. > :00:33.begins to flesh out what it would do in government, Germany goes to the
:00:33. > :00:42.remains uncertain, and a little in government, Germany goes to the
:00:42. > :00:53.of wind between the United States and Iran. I am joined by Mustapha
:00:53. > :01:01.Karkouti of Gulf News, Greg Katz of Associated Press, Eunice Goes, a
:01:01. > :01:05.We are in the middle of conference season, and the Labour Party has
:01:05. > :01:12.government. It comes as the UKIP begun to explain what it would do in
:01:12. > :01:17.government. It comes as the UKIP Does any of this feel as if British
:01:17. > :01:26.politics is changing significantly? All of the party conferences are
:01:26. > :01:34.setting up the election pitch. Labour starts off a little bit on
:01:34. > :01:36.the back foot because of the big about Gordon Brown 's former spin
:01:36. > :01:46.doctor —— by Gordon Brown 's former #ColourWhite which was that they
:01:46. > :02:01.that it is quite bad. Although the were all knifing each other. Yes.
:02:01. > :02:03.that it is quite bad. Although the Daily Mail has made a valiant effort
:02:03. > :02:07.to link Ed Miliband to it I do not think that that really quite works.
:02:07. > :02:14.But of course it is true that you have a leader of the Labour Party
:02:14. > :02:22.and the Chancellor that both worked for Gordon Brown. It is not a great
:02:22. > :02:28.they will do their best. That said, things like reversing the bedroom
:02:28. > :02:34.tax, that the spending commitment, something which they said they would
:02:34. > :02:38.not do Tilney wrote that —— that they would not do until nearer the
:02:38. > :02:47.election. That is put in some meat in. It is quite a big step for Ed
:02:47. > :02:50.Miliband to take. It will be popular with the supporters. They have to
:02:50. > :02:54.fight to show that it does not mean that they are against all forms
:02:54. > :02:54.fight to show that it does not mean welfare reform. But they need to
:02:54. > :03:04.make a strong case that this is welfare reform. But they need to
:03:04. > :03:08.very unfair tax. It seems to be unpopular and a campaign against it
:03:08. > :03:11.seems to have been quite vocal, mobilised and so on. If you are
:03:11. > :03:20.going to do something on welfare from the Labour perspective and
:03:20. > :03:26.going to do something on welfare is perhaps the easiest one to pick.
:03:27. > :03:32.They are saying that they are going to put a cap on welfare spending,
:03:32. > :03:35.essentially copying the coalition. They are trying to mark themselves
:03:35. > :04:00.resonance with the waves of most out, by showing a difference. The
:04:00. > :04:00.resonance with the waves of most voters. —— the lives of most voters.
:04:00. > :04:08.But he has to get rid of that clunky voters. —— the lives of most voters.
:04:08. > :04:12.language about widening access to childcare. What does that mean?
:04:12. > :04:20.language about widening access to does he not see that we are going to
:04:20. > :04:27.raise the minimum wage? It needs to be easy to understand and direct. In
:04:27. > :04:32.this morning 's papers, Douglas Alexander has said that they might
:04:32. > :04:39.take a leaf out of the Ronald Regan saying, are you better off than
:04:39. > :04:42.take a leaf out of the Ronald Regan were four or five years ago? Which
:04:42. > :04:48.was his saying that sank Jimmy Carter. Cancer to that for most
:04:48. > :04:55.people would possibly be now. —— the answer to that. David Cameron will
:04:55. > :05:01.come back and say that he was left with such a mess that he could not
:05:02. > :05:09.have made it any better. But Ed Miliband 's very predictable less
:05:09. > :05:13.than charismatic delivery, no one has done anything that has really
:05:13. > :05:16.blown up in his face, and maybe has done anything that has really
:05:16. > :05:21.is the person to lead the party has done anything that has really
:05:21. > :05:24.this election. It was interesting to see pictures of him with his family,
:05:24. > :05:27.on the beach, something which I see pictures of him with his family,
:05:27. > :05:36.before. Is it him saying, I am like before. Is it him saying, I am like
:05:36. > :05:39.you, I am a family guy? We mentioned Ronald Reagan. His people invented
:05:39. > :05:43.this beautiful staging of political events to make them look perfect,
:05:43. > :06:04.somebody said. But it showed him in events to make them look perfect,
:06:04. > :06:08.somebody said. But it showed him in jeans. And he would jeans that
:06:08. > :06:12.time, we see him with his family. I do not recall seeing him with his
:06:12. > :06:28.it will happen. But what really do not recall seeing him with his
:06:28. > :06:35.it will happen. But what really strictly the most is the latest
:06:35. > :06:48.Yes, Rachel Reeves saying that they to £60,000 area. A lot of people
:06:48. > :06:54.think that that is rich. I have worked for about 50 years in my
:06:54. > :06:58.think that that is rich. I have yet. So it is hard work to earn
:06:59. > :07:06.£60,000. Watched you make of the have the UKIP leader, Nigel Farage,
:07:06. > :07:10.who manages to connect with people in this country. He made what a
:07:10. > :07:17.who manages to connect with people of observers thought was a good
:07:17. > :07:23.speech. —— a rude speech by Godfrey Bloom. It was a dramatic and fairly
:07:23. > :07:34.holy area is a dramatic and fairly holy area solicitor and UKIP 's
:07:34. > :07:40.fundamental problem —— hilarious illustration of UKIP 's fundamental
:07:40. > :07:44.problem. They have a charismatic leader but not very many friendly
:07:44. > :07:55.types around him. It was a bit of a should not write this man off, Nigel
:07:55. > :08:01.Farage, the leader of UKIP. They are riding the tide of Eurosceptics
:08:01. > :08:18.in a rather toxic week, into a major this country quite well. He is
:08:18. > :08:24.want our country back, but the point issue. —— immigration. He said,
:08:24. > :08:40.months time and that is unacceptable he made was that you could have
:08:40. > :08:42.months time and that is unacceptable —— Bulgarians. It is a good lesson
:08:42. > :08:46.for the Conservative party, because UKIP managed to wait in their appeal
:08:46. > :09:04.by moving from Europe into widening their message on immigration. What
:09:04. > :09:10.Euroscepticism, it is immigration. These are the issues people care
:09:10. > :09:17.about. In a very curious way, Manuel endorse UKIP, but was suggesting
:09:17. > :09:31.that many voters may choose to vote Conservative party. Manuel Barroso
:09:31. > :09:34.should keep out of the national politics, because before he went to
:09:34. > :09:47.Brussels he had already ruined the Portuguese national economy, so
:09:47. > :09:51.Brussels he had already ruined the other big change in British politics
:09:51. > :10:01.is the possibility of another hung parliament, another coalition.
:10:01. > :10:05.European country. That is the irony. The Lib Dems this week, Nick Clegg
:10:05. > :10:18.government for the rest of your has said that we have got used to
:10:18. > :10:22.more European with the coalitions, life, possibly. I agree that it
:10:22. > :10:25.more European with the coalitions, but I thought that if Nick Clegg, if
:10:25. > :10:31.that is the best thing that he can say, it is pretty weak. If the best
:10:31. > :10:37.thing he can say is that he is in the middle and not as bad as the
:10:37. > :10:51.also there is a restlessness among as his previous election promises.
:10:52. > :10:55.also there is a restlessness among British voters to find something
:10:55. > :10:59.different to break the mould. I think that Nigel Farage is very
:10:59. > :11:02.astute in the way that he presents himself and is good at tapping into
:11:02. > :11:10.it. Without meaning to insult Manuel Barroso, any time you would put
:11:10. > :11:15.it. Without meaning to insult Manuel picture on the television, British
:11:15. > :11:30.voters will think of UKIP. You will bureaucrats, faceless people, that
:11:30. > :11:34.they might vote for Nigel Farage. It is very likely to continue to the
:11:34. > :11:40.end of the government time. I will happening again, whether Labour
:11:40. > :11:46.end of the government time. I will Conservative wins the majority at
:11:46. > :11:53.coalition now, yes it is a European fact of life, it has become a fact
:11:53. > :12:01.of life in Britain as well. I was going to ask, Donald, about your
:12:01. > :12:05.thoughts. It is one year to go until the Scottish referendum. That throws
:12:05. > :12:08.a lot of calculations, it is fair to say that many people in England
:12:08. > :12:14.a lot of calculations, it is fair to wondering why they should care about
:12:14. > :12:19.it. As someone who listening wind of Scottish ancestry, I think we should
:12:19. > :12:22.care a lot. This is a very big political events coming down the
:12:22. > :12:26.of... What at the moment is slightly track. Although there is a sort
:12:26. > :12:30.of... What at the moment is slightly dangerous is that in government
:12:30. > :12:32.of... What at the moment is slightly it is going to be all right because
:12:32. > :12:38.for independence which I personally in the end the Scots will not fought
:12:38. > :12:42.rather more engaged with this. think that English people should
:12:42. > :12:42.rather more engaged with this. Because although in my view cutting
:12:42. > :13:00.think this is a big event coming yourself off from England would
:13:00. > :13:03.think this is a big event coming down the track and of course would
:13:03. > :13:13.be disastrous and domestic political times for David Cameron. Being the
:13:13. > :13:16.Angela Merkel remains the most powerful woman in the world and
:13:16. > :13:19.Europe 's most powerful leader. powerful woman in the world and
:13:19. > :13:24.it a good thing for all of Europe if she receives a new mandate from
:13:24. > :13:30.German voters this weekend? What coalition will we expect and will
:13:30. > :13:33.she be able to offer the kind of leadership that Europeans say that
:13:33. > :13:36.they need but do not much like if it comes from Berlin. Is there much
:13:36. > :13:44.cheerleading in Portugal for Angela Merkel? Not really. And I do not
:13:44. > :13:48.capitals, because she is going to continue to be chancellor and there
:13:48. > :13:52.is no hope in times of change of strategy. We are going to continue
:13:52. > :13:56.to muddle through the year is on the crisis. No big bank solutions, no
:13:56. > :14:03.crisis. She will probably start crisis. No big bank solutions, no
:14:03. > :14:08.the budget targets, the budget deficit targets, to the countries
:14:08. > :14:16.that have been bailed out. Greece is going to need another bailout. And
:14:16. > :14:23.in Portugal as well. I —— a new bailout is going to be needed. We
:14:23. > :14:25.massive interest on debt and the are paying out this massive debt,
:14:25. > :14:28.massive interest on debt and the deficit is still pretty large. There
:14:28. > :14:47.in the end result and the collapse deficit is still pretty large. There
:14:47. > :14:50.in the end result and the collapse Any German leader would take broad
:14:50. > :14:55.note of what the German electorate countries and would be moving along
:14:55. > :14:58.in the same direction. There is countries and would be moving along
:14:58. > :15:01.small party that would pull out countries and would be moving along
:15:01. > :15:05.the whole thing. Whether it is a grand coalition or a continuation of
:15:05. > :15:18.we will see much change in terms of grand coalition or a continuation of
:15:18. > :15:20.we will see much change in terms of charismatic and not reaching out to
:15:20. > :15:38.people in southern Europe, but she has been steadfast in keeping her
:15:38. > :15:47.charismatic German leaders before! absolutely pivotal, and she has
:15:47. > :15:49.charismatic German leaders before! absolutely consistent. The leader
:15:49. > :16:01.here does not really matter. What really matters is the country.
:16:01. > :16:05.Just imagine Europe without Germany. There will never be Europe without
:16:05. > :16:17.Germany. What makes the leader more effective is the country. In this
:16:17. > :16:25.case, whoever is there, Angela Merkel will still be working. I
:16:25. > :16:31.think an even more weird thoughts Germany without Europe. That is
:16:31. > :16:34.quite a scary thought. I think Angela Merkel is a traditional
:16:34. > :16:39.politician who also understands Angela Merkel is a traditional
:16:39. > :16:48.and believes that it is essential Europe. Two other quick points.
:16:48. > :16:50.and believes that it is essential you were hinting at earlier, she
:16:50. > :16:58.to be hugely successful. I think believes that you do not have to be
:16:58. > :17:00.to be hugely successful. I think that is quite a plus for her. Also,
:17:00. > :17:16.about her, which is that she clearly that is quite a plus for her. Also,
:17:16. > :17:20.about her, which is that she clearly European Union. As Cameron goes
:17:20. > :17:25.negotiating and having a referendum, I think it is probably quite a good
:17:25. > :17:36.thing from his point of view, and Angela Merkel at the helm. I am
:17:36. > :17:38.thing from his point of view, and too sure about that. I am not so
:17:38. > :17:53.sure that she will cave into the demands David Cameron. She may be
:17:53. > :17:57.more sympathetic. She may help to gloss a significant negotiating
:17:57. > :18:01.victory for David Cameron. You could say that if the Conservative Party
:18:01. > :18:03.are given what they want to do and they cannot get on with Angela
:18:03. > :18:06.Merkel, it will be difficult to they cannot get on with Angela
:18:06. > :18:21.a relationship with anybody in Europe, because they come from the
:18:21. > :18:31.same place in terms of austerity David Cameron is putting huge hopes
:18:31. > :18:37.in David —— Angela Merkel. The General assembly is coming up. It
:18:37. > :18:41.points to the potential of a new and better relationship between Iran and
:18:41. > :18:51.the United States, with Syria now weapons. Should we begin to be
:18:51. > :19:02.optimistic? There is a general feeling around the region that the
:19:02. > :19:10.new language and approach. He has new president will bring with him
:19:10. > :19:12.new language and approach. He has exchanged letters, for example.
:19:12. > :19:21.new language and approach. He has is meeting the French resident on
:19:21. > :19:24.Tuesday during the meetings in the General assembly. But he is not
:19:24. > :19:28.meeting Obama. There are rumours General assembly. But he is not
:19:28. > :19:28.meeting Obama. There are rumours that he might. Beside that, whether
:19:28. > :19:43.or not he meets Obama, certainly he that he might. Beside that, whether
:19:43. > :19:48.or not he meets Obama, certainly he certainly Iran is a speaking a
:19:48. > :19:50.different language now. He has been at the helm of nuclear negotiations
:19:50. > :19:55.for many years. On security, he at the helm of nuclear negotiations
:19:55. > :20:03.sitting on committees for at least 16 years. On top of that, he has got
:20:03. > :20:13.the blessing of the spiritual leader of the country, and he has got an
:20:13. > :20:14.authority. He told ABC television that he has the full authority of
:20:14. > :20:23.the Ayatollah. The only problem that he has the full authority of
:20:23. > :20:27.that is that, from the American perspective, there have been so
:20:28. > :20:32.that is that, from the American moderates of Iran over the last
:20:32. > :20:34.that is that, from the American years. The Obama administration
:20:35. > :20:38.that is that, from the American be very cautious about this. This is
:20:38. > :20:43.positive until the instant where it seems to follow apart. There is
:20:43. > :20:45.positive until the instant where it of good reason to hope that the
:20:45. > :20:49.moment. All of the signals being sent back and forth, there could be
:20:49. > :20:52.substance behind them. This is the time for Obama, if he is going to a
:20:52. > :21:04.comp which anything in the foreign accomplish anything in the foreign
:21:04. > :21:08.Some commentators think that America just is not in the game properly. I
:21:08. > :21:16.influence in the Middle East than we influence in the Middle East than we
:21:16. > :21:20.did 15 or 30 years ago. But the influence in the Middle East than we
:21:20. > :21:22.that Obama's this plot —— diplomacy has been in disarray, I do not buy
:21:22. > :21:30.and Obama is some big loser, I do has been in disarray, I do not buy
:21:30. > :21:32.and Obama is some big loser, I do not buy that. Obama with that out of
:21:32. > :21:50.There is a ground to be optimistic not buy that. Obama with that out of
:21:50. > :21:55.There is a ground to be optimistic here. Let's not forget that America
:21:55. > :22:00.could have never withdrawn from Afghanistan and now Iraq next year
:22:00. > :22:10.without some kind of agreement and understanding with Iran itself.
:22:10. > :22:14.without some kind of agreement and government running Iraqi —— Iraq has
:22:14. > :22:20.influence. Now it wrong can deliver Syria as well. They have Hezbollah
:22:20. > :22:29.working and upgrading next to the Syria Army in Syria, killing Syrian
:22:29. > :22:33.people, and that is affecting things in the political game at the moment.
:22:33. > :22:43.One of the bizarre things about years is that Iran has been helped
:22:43. > :22:46.immensely by American policy. They neutralize the Taliban regime in
:22:46. > :22:56.Afghanistan. Now perhaps there will be a deal in. That would be in the
:22:56. > :23:04.is trysts —— that will be a deal in interest. Even before the president
:23:04. > :23:11.was elected, it was thought that Iran would have to play some role if
:23:11. > :23:15.there would ever be a successful piece conference to end the civil
:23:15. > :23:20.war. Now it has become even clearer. I think it is very pragmatic. I
:23:20. > :23:32.something and achieve something about this being a disaster and
:23:32. > :23:33.something and achieve something really sensible and a much more
:23:33. > :23:39.pragmatic way towards Iran. And really sensible and a much more
:23:39. > :23:40.is without dropping a bomb with really sensible and a much more
:23:40. > :23:44.on anybody. American influence in the Middle East might have been
:23:44. > :23:49.on anybody. American influence in greater in the last 30 years, but it
:23:49. > :24:12.extent. This is a great opportunity, agree. The US has never used their
:24:12. > :24:16.extent. This is a great opportunity, because it is showing what the
:24:16. > :24:21.possibilities are of diplomacy and patients rather than, let's drop
:24:21. > :24:26.some bombs and see what happens afterwards, like some people were
:24:26. > :24:30.defending. I do not know how much the Congress will cooperate with
:24:30. > :24:37.Obama. This is going to be the next headache. We should cherish this
:24:38. > :24:46.moment of rationalism, of people should be cherished. We do not often
:24:46. > :24:51.and on an optimistic note about should be cherished. We do not often
:24:51. > :25:06.Middle East. I am really optimistic about that. I hope the leadership
:25:06. > :25:10.will work. That is it for this week. You can comment on the programme on