:00:10. > :00:28.Good evening. In just over one week voters will be going to the polls.
:00:29. > :00:36.What are the issues? Welcome to Election 2017, Where You Live. On
:00:37. > :00:41.our panel tonight, conservative James Wharton, Fiona Mills from
:00:42. > :00:45.Ukip, Andy McDonald from Labour Party, Shirley Ford from the Green
:00:46. > :00:48.Party. In our audience are supporters of the main parties and
:00:49. > :00:53.people who have not yet made up their makes you to vote for on June
:00:54. > :00:59.eight. You can join the debate at home using the Twitter hashed hike.
:01:00. > :01:06.Get on with our first question, Katie, who works for a haulage
:01:07. > :01:11.company. How will the parties ensure that Britain leaving the EU will not
:01:12. > :01:18.create more of a north - south divide? Andy McDonald? It is
:01:19. > :01:27.essential for the north-east of England that its record as an
:01:28. > :01:31.exporting region is protected. We look no further than the automotive
:01:32. > :01:35.industry where we have not just the sun and Washington, but we have to
:01:36. > :01:40.supply chain running through the north-east of England. Tens of
:01:41. > :01:44.thousands of jobs there. It is key that we have unfettered and have
:01:45. > :01:49.free access to that European market that is so important to us. These
:01:50. > :01:55.are things that we must do. We must also be team skills that we house
:01:56. > :01:58.from people who have come from other European countries as well. It is
:01:59. > :02:02.essential that we see that you are welcome, you have come here, you
:02:03. > :02:07.have set their own roots, you have former love and married, set up
:02:08. > :02:11.businesses, paying tax and National Insurance, we want you here, you are
:02:12. > :02:16.valuable to our economy, it is it when- when for us, it is essential
:02:17. > :02:20.that we detain all those best parts of our relationship with your
:02:21. > :02:24.opinion and make sure it is not jeopardised in any way. Fiona Mills
:02:25. > :02:28.for Ukip, you seem relaxed about these tariffs that Andy McDonald is
:02:29. > :02:32.worried about? I don't think there will be tariffs. I campaigned for
:02:33. > :02:36.six months to meet the European Union, I am convinced we will be
:02:37. > :02:39.better off outside, and I am sure there will not speak to us, we will
:02:40. > :02:42.properly get a free trade agreement with the European Union because we
:02:43. > :02:46.have a trade deficit with their managers and their interest to keep
:02:47. > :02:51.trading with us. There will not be a north- south divide either. Fiona
:02:52. > :02:55.Hall from the Liberal Democrats, your party wants to see a second
:02:56. > :03:00.referendum, and is desperate to stay in the EU. Absolutely because this
:03:01. > :03:04.region needs us to be in the single market, it desperately needs it, it
:03:05. > :03:12.is not just the car industry, although that is important, an awful
:03:13. > :03:15.lot of small businesses work and continental Europe and will be
:03:16. > :03:22.barred from doing so. There's your answer not just to not read you
:03:23. > :03:25.look? Ideally, not to leave, that would be part of the second
:03:26. > :03:30.referendum that would be on the ballot paper, but the most crucial
:03:31. > :03:33.thing for the economy, and for not increasing their north- south
:03:34. > :03:37.divide, assisting in the single market, and Theresa May's hard
:03:38. > :03:49.Frexit is writing that possibility off. James Wharton, hard Frexit,
:03:50. > :03:55.does this region have a lot to lose? Brexit is the single most important
:03:56. > :03:57.thing that this country faces going forward, not just for this
:03:58. > :04:01.parliament but for a generation and this is important that we respect
:04:02. > :04:04.the result of that and we deliver on the instruction the pitch Google has
:04:05. > :04:08.given the Government and important that they get the best possible
:04:09. > :04:11.deal. That'll be negotiated by either Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May
:04:12. > :04:16.and we will choose in the selection who we trust. And for the north-east
:04:17. > :04:19.who have arisen Government we do have a strong voice and that
:04:20. > :04:23.governments to ensure the things that matter to as a part of that
:04:24. > :04:26.negotiation process. I think that's Theresa May is the right person to
:04:27. > :04:29.do this and there are certain sectors that matter very much the
:04:30. > :04:32.north-east that we need strong voices from the north-east to
:04:33. > :04:41.constructively and effectively make the case. One example is automotive,
:04:42. > :04:45.we're not far from Sunderland where Nissan has one of the most
:04:46. > :04:51.productive plants in the world. Shirley Ford for the Green Party?
:04:52. > :04:56.Hearing about what the Conservative Party would call the best deal, I
:04:57. > :05:01.would question that, because not only do we need to protect the good
:05:02. > :05:04.things of our membership of the European Union, but that is a huge
:05:05. > :05:07.opportunity here, but not that we have the kind of Brexit that the
:05:08. > :05:12.Tories would like which would fuel as being a tax haven which would
:05:13. > :05:18.fuel the inequality, it would fuel the City of London. We have to have
:05:19. > :05:24.a different kind of Brexit which actually brings the opportunities to
:05:25. > :05:33.build strong local industries here, the free trade element it should be
:05:34. > :05:37.fair trade, opportunities for the skills and facilities here in the
:05:38. > :05:42.north-east. I want to go back to Katie who asked the question. What
:05:43. > :05:46.do you think? I believe we import wait more than we export, especially
:05:47. > :05:54.to the region, I work in haulage, I think we will be OK on the three
:05:55. > :06:00.trades division, but I agree with Fiona from the Ukip party. You are
:06:01. > :06:05.relaxed about it? Yes. Anybody else in the audience? Yes, a woman on my
:06:06. > :06:13.left at the back. My name is Pat. A question for
:06:14. > :06:19.James. You see this was the best deal through the Conservative Party.
:06:20. > :06:27.Why call an election no? You had the majority vote. You had the best
:06:28. > :06:34.leader. Why do this? You wing whichever way. Labour would be done
:06:35. > :06:39.to their Government came through and one because now they would be left
:06:40. > :06:44.picking up the pieces. James Wharton, can you answer this
:06:45. > :06:47.customer talk about this choice. One minute issue this was not about
:06:48. > :06:52.Theresa May was not to have this election. A couple of things have
:06:53. > :06:58.been said that I'm not accurate. We must get control of our borders and
:06:59. > :07:03.our market. First of all, if you are so convinced Theresa May is the best
:07:04. > :07:05.person to negotiate... MPs in Parliament do not accept the result
:07:06. > :07:09.of the referendum and want to frustrate it. The current Government
:07:10. > :07:13.has a small majority in parliament, this is an opportunity to give the
:07:14. > :07:16.Government, whoever that might be, a strong mandate in those
:07:17. > :07:21.negotiations. This is the crucial thing this country faces that will
:07:22. > :07:24.affect us for a generation. We need a good negotiating team, Theresa May
:07:25. > :07:27.is the right person to deal with that. The people will decide. Let us
:07:28. > :07:36.hear from more people in the audience. Just for the Conservatives
:07:37. > :07:39.and the Ukip representatives, I would like to know why, if
:07:40. > :07:45.everything is so secure and will go so smoothly, you have got the head
:07:46. > :07:54.of European manufacturing at Nissan, under European basis, he is saying
:07:55. > :07:59.that the supply chain in the UK for Nissan is at risk from Brexit and he
:08:00. > :08:06.wants the Government to spend ?100 million on strengthening that supply
:08:07. > :08:12.chain. And he said, he would not say that Nissan Sunderland is safe.
:08:13. > :08:15.Fiona Mills, these are the real issues that are facing companies
:08:16. > :08:22.here, that I watching this carefully. Your warmers to not been
:08:23. > :08:26.a great deal, they want to see the deal. Nissan has just invested a
:08:27. > :08:30.huge lead in this region, that speaks volumes, they are clearly not
:08:31. > :08:33.worried about Brexit, they were probably not given a guarantee
:08:34. > :08:36.because no guarantee would be necessary because we will get a free
:08:37. > :08:43.trade agreement. There is not an issue. You talk about the motor car
:08:44. > :08:48.industry alone, tariffs are imposed in the way that is possible that
:08:49. > :08:52.would wipe out not just the UK operational profitability, it would
:08:53. > :08:56.be the European operations that would be scuppered, do not think for
:08:57. > :09:00.one minute that 49 million pounds is going to be sufficient to keep them
:09:01. > :09:06.there are no circumstances. It is not. Goods are made up and component
:09:07. > :09:11.parts right across the European Union and if we don't have that
:09:12. > :09:15.frictionless process through our customs system we are going to be in
:09:16. > :09:18.trouble. These are things we have got to concentrate on when we are
:09:19. > :09:24.talking to our neighbours in Europe about securing the best deal for
:09:25. > :09:29.this country. Imposition of tariffs would be a disaster for Sunderland,
:09:30. > :09:32.as would delays caused simply by things taking a long time going
:09:33. > :09:36.through customs, because of the fact that they rely on deliveries
:09:37. > :09:45.arriving. I want to get more people in. The woman has put her hand up
:09:46. > :09:52.with fitted in Cardigan. The man in the shirt. We have had the worst
:09:53. > :09:56.possible deal for the NHS, for education, for people on low wages,
:09:57. > :10:01.I should be trusted Tories it was the best possible deal deal anything
:10:02. > :10:07.else? Anybody else in the audience wanted Japan? I will allow James
:10:08. > :10:12.Wharton to come back in the moment. Fiona Hall, we have got to make a
:10:13. > :10:16.success of this, your party is not appealing to people by just saying
:10:17. > :10:20.we want to tear it all up. Focus on the deal and get the dual rate for
:10:21. > :10:26.the north-east rather than argue the referendum again. What we voted on
:10:27. > :10:36.last June was do we stay or do we leave, we did not fought on what
:10:37. > :10:40.sort of an exodus that would be. It was not understood at all, there are
:10:41. > :10:45.many forces said that during the referendum campaign, and it is only
:10:46. > :10:52.now that people are beginning to recognise that the trade deal will
:10:53. > :10:57.take years, and it makes me weep, because so many people put so much
:10:58. > :11:01.effort into getting companies like Nissan into the north-east, it's two
:11:02. > :11:04.years of work, and though we are throwing it away, because you can
:11:05. > :11:08.intervene that you will get a cheap deal straightaway. Every single
:11:09. > :11:12.parliament and if European country and regional parliament and the
:11:13. > :11:19.European Parliament has Tuilagi to achieve deal. Ten years if you are
:11:20. > :11:25.lucky. We have got two years in which these negotiations take place.
:11:26. > :11:28.Article 50 has been invoked. We are leaving, the People's decision in
:11:29. > :11:32.that referendum has been respected but at this rate that there are many
:11:33. > :11:35.important issues that needs to be resolved. Conservatives are clear
:11:36. > :11:36.that they want control of our borders... What about support and
:11:37. > :11:50.funding the north-east? Things like the automotive sector
:11:51. > :11:54.matter. I happen to think we will be successful after Brexit whatever
:11:55. > :11:57.comes out of this process. By also recognise the better deal we get,
:11:58. > :12:04.the better our chances with the right government to negotiate with
:12:05. > :12:09.that. What about the fact that the Tories are relaxed about getting a
:12:10. > :12:16.deal? It depends what you mean by a bad deal. The Conservative
:12:17. > :12:19.government we have just had has been reluctant to give Parliament a
:12:20. > :12:28.meaningful say, a meaningful vote, after the deal, let alone the
:12:29. > :12:35.people. I think actually we are leaving but people should have a say
:12:36. > :12:43.on the final deal. APPLAUSE We are going to move on from Brexit
:12:44. > :12:50.and go to our second question. Hello, I'm from April community with
:12:51. > :12:58.an elderly and ageing population. In September, the CCG closed our 12
:12:59. > :13:00.bedded ward in our hospital. Up and down the country seems that
:13:01. > :13:05.Community Hospital beds are being taken away. Why is there such an
:13:06. > :13:12.attack on this vital community resource? Thank you. We had other
:13:13. > :13:19.questions on the NHS focused on people worried about services in
:13:20. > :13:25.their local hospitals. James Wharton. There are two important
:13:26. > :13:30.issues here, one is funding for the NHS. We can't deny there are more
:13:31. > :13:34.people who are quiet care and quality treatment, which costs more
:13:35. > :13:39.so we need to continue to invest in the NHS, which government has been
:13:40. > :13:43.doing. The government manifesto is clear in its commitment. There is
:13:44. > :13:47.also the discussion and debate and excision is taken about the right
:13:48. > :13:51.configurations of services and it is right that the clinical experts, the
:13:52. > :13:54.people who work in hospitals look at services, where they are placed and
:13:55. > :13:59.ensure they are configured in the best way for the best outcomes. We
:14:00. > :14:03.need to invest but we need to be careful to listen to medical experts
:14:04. > :14:08.as well about how that investment is used and how the NHS is configured.
:14:09. > :14:12.Do we have to get used to the fact that not all our service will be as
:14:13. > :14:19.close to us as they have been? Not necessarily. But that is what is
:14:20. > :14:24.happening... There is a number of postal to look at to create centres
:14:25. > :14:30.of excellence but they are not guaranteed to happen. This is up to
:14:31. > :14:34.local trusts. Central government provides funding and the support.
:14:35. > :14:41.The Conservatives are committed to at least an extra ?8 billion. Fiona
:14:42. > :14:51.Hall, Liberal Democrats. Those are measly words. I have huge sympathy
:14:52. > :14:58.with the woman. That is only one of many examples, regional services on
:14:59. > :15:04.a temporary basis, here we are in June nearly. People travelling by
:15:05. > :15:09.ambulance 35 miles and then stuck in a hospital where they can't get back
:15:10. > :15:13.home again because there is no public transport and what it comes
:15:14. > :15:16.down to is this new way of doing things in the small print is about
:15:17. > :15:24.cuts and the basic fact is that it is just not enough money being
:15:25. > :15:28.invested in the NHS. APPLAUSE People say it is about people being
:15:29. > :15:34.treated by the best doctors in the best places, would you deny that? I
:15:35. > :15:36.do think so, it might be about that if putting interruptions and then
:15:37. > :15:40.deciding what to do with it that might be an issue but the real point
:15:41. > :15:46.is the money is not there and we need to put at least an extra ?6
:15:47. > :15:55.billion into NHS every year. Andy McDonald. The discussion about
:15:56. > :15:57.configurations is a smoke screen. This is anonymous with the
:15:58. > :16:03.efficiency savings they are talking about. ?22 billion out of the
:16:04. > :16:08.system. That is an absolute scandal. It is no wonder that people are
:16:09. > :16:17.having to wait over two months to see an oncologist, waiting more than
:16:18. > :16:24.four hours in 999. -- in A We want to see people receiving timely
:16:25. > :16:28.intervention. Do you not accept these are local trusts, making
:16:29. > :16:32.decisions, consulting with local councils? Local trusts making
:16:33. > :16:38.decisions... Making decisions in their localities because of the lack
:16:39. > :16:41.of funding. It is not about the voracity of the configurations, it's
:16:42. > :16:46.about the money that is available to deliver the services. If you have
:16:47. > :16:50.got a ward where you have 17 members of staff and it's running on seven,
:16:51. > :16:53.it is telling you everything you need to know about the state of
:16:54. > :17:01.crisis of the National Health Service caused by the Tories. Fiona
:17:02. > :17:05.Mills. I have worked in the NHS for 24 year is and I have seen the
:17:06. > :17:09.deterioration over the years. I help to bite our manifesto, I'm proud of
:17:10. > :17:16.it. We need investment in the NHS and we have committed to ?11 billion
:17:17. > :17:21.by the end of 2022. How will you pay to that? Come onto that in a minute.
:17:22. > :17:23.We need to combine health and social care and that is the key to this.
:17:24. > :17:28.People should be treated closer to home in the correct location for
:17:29. > :17:33.their care and that's what part of this is all about. We have not got
:17:34. > :17:36.enough doctors or nurses because previous administrations did not
:17:37. > :17:44.train enough and we are having to get them from abroad at extortionate
:17:45. > :17:50.rates. Shirley Ford. The cuts to our NHS are happening. It's clearly
:17:51. > :17:54.driving this. It might be dressed up in words about improving care,
:17:55. > :18:00.concentrating, reconfiguration but it is about reducing the number of
:18:01. > :18:04.heads. But they're's more money going in? But there is still a huge
:18:05. > :18:11.number of beds being closed down, not there. You had 30,000 excess
:18:12. > :18:16.deaths in 2015 entity cuts in health and social care. That is, a scandal
:18:17. > :18:21.and we have two increase funding. We find the money from the things we
:18:22. > :18:25.don't want to spend money on, in my case Trident and nuclear weapons.
:18:26. > :18:31.APPLAUSE I'm sure there are plenty of people
:18:32. > :18:42.in our audience who want to join in. While we are in here, my wife is
:18:43. > :18:50.working to treat and nurse children with cancer just across the river at
:18:51. > :18:54.the hospital and I see the problem as inadequate funding per person
:18:55. > :19:03.going into the NHS. I gather we spend about 8.9% of GDP on our NHS
:19:04. > :19:10.service wearers it's well into double figures for comparator
:19:11. > :19:13.countries of France and Germany -- whereas it's. When we going to
:19:14. > :19:19.tackle that problem that has been around for decades and will allow my
:19:20. > :19:24.wife to get back to the salary she had five years ago before her pay
:19:25. > :19:32.scale she was reduced on her pay scale for the same work? Anybody
:19:33. > :19:36.else? One of the big problems we have with the NHS, we have infinite
:19:37. > :19:40.demand and finite supply and the trouble is the more people think
:19:41. > :19:46.they can use it willy-nilly then the bigger the problem is going to be. I
:19:47. > :19:49.have a relative who is a doctor in A and she gets frustrated with
:19:50. > :19:54.people turning up with paper cuts and oh, I have an ache in my leg.
:19:55. > :19:57.They are not accidents or emergencies but it is wasting NHS
:19:58. > :20:03.money. As soon as we realise we can't drain it like that, the better
:20:04. > :20:09.the NHS will be. But walk-in centres and GPs are being cut as well and
:20:10. > :20:14.therefore people end up going to A when they have got anywhere to go.
:20:15. > :20:18.James Wharton, people in the audience are concerned about this.
:20:19. > :20:24.None of the parties are offering to put enough in but where do we start?
:20:25. > :20:28.This affect everybody in this country, we all rely on the NHS and
:20:29. > :20:30.it matters to us. It is always under pressure from more advanced
:20:31. > :20:35.techniques for treating people and occupation growth and an ageing
:20:36. > :20:37.population, so it needs more investment continually, that's true
:20:38. > :20:44.and that is what the Conservatives have been doing. Labour are
:20:45. > :20:50.committed to more. The efficiency savings we talked about earlier. If
:20:51. > :20:53.you want to be able to invest in the NHS, you need a strong economy to
:20:54. > :20:55.underpin that and that is what we need. We need a combination of
:20:56. > :21:00.policies in different areas to deliver an economy which works,
:21:01. > :21:04.which touches the conversation we had about Brexit earlier, but also
:21:05. > :21:08.to generate money to invest in the NHS. You have that in our manifesto,
:21:09. > :21:15.which will deliver improved services for people who need it. Anyone else
:21:16. > :21:20.from the audience? I agree that the gentleman about A Then eat to be
:21:21. > :21:29.a system making sure people who attend A need it. -- then needs to
:21:30. > :21:33.be a system. You don't go to A with a grace, a splinter because
:21:34. > :21:39.your child when stop crying. I'm sorry, I have been in A and I have
:21:40. > :21:43.seen it happen. I was there one evening where several people came in
:21:44. > :21:47.who were drunk and the nurse had to assist them. She says to them, you
:21:48. > :21:50.were here yesterday and the day before. There is an element of that
:21:51. > :22:02.which needs to be sorted out. Then to be more education. There needs to
:22:03. > :22:07.be a plan. I don't think anyone has talked about the closure of
:22:08. > :22:12.Community Hospital beds. My area is an incredibly rural area. Is it
:22:13. > :22:16.really fair to expect people, for examples for their end of life care
:22:17. > :22:21.who do not choose to die at home, to have two die in hospitals with a 50
:22:22. > :22:24.mile round trip for their relatives and loved ones to go and see them?
:22:25. > :22:33.We need rehabilitation commute hospitals. Amla, we have had a lot
:22:34. > :22:41.of support about putting money into the NHS -- Andy McDonald. What about
:22:42. > :22:48.pledging upon the love billions upon billions of pounds? People need to
:22:49. > :22:51.get access to the services in an appropriate way. If they can't, that
:22:52. > :22:56.overloads our accident and emergency departments. In my locality there is
:22:57. > :23:00.a triage system that intercepts people that should be better served
:23:01. > :23:03.elsewhere and that is part of the deal. What I would say is that to
:23:04. > :23:09.think that that is responsible for the cuts that are impacting so
:23:10. > :23:14.viciously on our NHS is to overstate the case very considerably and all
:23:15. > :23:21.money is needed in the core services of the NHS. APPLAUSE
:23:22. > :23:27.There is a lot of stuff we haven't started to mention here that we need
:23:28. > :23:31.to. One is staff pay. The pay cap has got to be lifted. It is unfair
:23:32. > :23:37.the number of nurses who are really struggling to just make ends meet
:23:38. > :23:40.amidst all the work they do and the Liberal Democrats would raise pay.
:23:41. > :23:47.The other is mental health, we have not talked about that and that is
:23:48. > :23:50.grossly underfunded. APPLAUSE I would agree with you that mental
:23:51. > :23:54.health is underfunded and Ukip pledges to put more funding into
:23:55. > :23:59.that and also for dementia services cover they are also in need of
:24:00. > :24:04.additional funding. I would also say that we really need to look at how
:24:05. > :24:09.the organisation of the NHS and I have worked in it for 24 years and
:24:10. > :24:12.seen it all. We need to take out non-value-added activity. We have an
:24:13. > :24:19.internal market going on that wastes billions. I do know what you mean by
:24:20. > :24:25.that at I'm going to move it on. -- I do not know what you mean by that
:24:26. > :24:29.we are going to move on. Most of the party seemed to agree that there is
:24:30. > :24:35.a crisis looming with regards to the funding of schools but do the
:24:36. > :24:38.candidates think reintroducing gamma schools -- Grammar schools alongside
:24:39. > :24:42.free schools and academies will make things better or worse for the
:24:43. > :24:48.majority of pupils? Fiona Mills, you are looking to bring a grammar
:24:49. > :24:53.school to every town but isn't a secondary modern also brought to
:24:54. > :24:56.every town therefore? Not necessarily, you could have a
:24:57. > :24:59.grammar school within a school. I went a comp offensive school where
:25:00. > :25:05.we were streamed, so ineffective was a grammar school. -- I went to a
:25:06. > :25:12.comprehensive School. Why do you think grammar schools are the answer
:25:13. > :25:15.to education? It aids social mobility and that has been proven in
:25:16. > :25:20.the past. We want every child to excel and we recognise every child
:25:21. > :25:23.is different. We need technical colleges for some, vocational
:25:24. > :25:27.studies., we need a mix of everything so everyone can achieve
:25:28. > :25:30.their potential. Not everybody needs to go to university, 46% of
:25:31. > :25:36.graduates find a job they didn't need a degree for anyway. Who do you
:25:37. > :25:39.tell they aren't going to university? You don't tell them, it
:25:40. > :25:46.is better choices about what they want to do. I have never met a poor
:25:47. > :25:53.plumber or electrician. Shirley Ford. Grammar schools are not the
:25:54. > :25:58.solution. To put children through a test at 11 years old that will
:25:59. > :26:02.decide where their future lies and, you know, it will be like a system
:26:03. > :26:09.where we have grammar schools where the majority, do not pass the 11
:26:10. > :26:13.plus and they do not go to schools that are secondary moderns and that
:26:14. > :26:16.is unacceptable -- and they go to schools that are secondary modern.
:26:17. > :26:23.You have this chaos of free schools being set up and taking funding when
:26:24. > :26:24.all of our schools need funding to be funded properly so that every
:26:25. > :26:36.child has a good education. James Wharton, are people in your
:26:37. > :26:40.constituency crying out for a grammar school? We secured a new
:26:41. > :26:46.three school. That was a promise in the previous election. The reality
:26:47. > :26:49.is that you need makes provision in education. Grammar schools have a
:26:50. > :26:52.lot to offer and can make a significant contribution, they are
:26:53. > :26:56.not the confidence that should be part of the package. When we abolish
:26:57. > :27:00.grammar schools and comprehensives did the education system in this
:27:01. > :27:03.country get better was a little something different? You will find
:27:04. > :27:06.pics Antonio is a natural people who have experienced it and in those
:27:07. > :27:10.areas that want a new drama school we should give them the freedom and
:27:11. > :27:14.Flex ability to set them up and stop other people in your area who want a
:27:15. > :27:18.grammar school? I am lucky in my constituency, we have very good
:27:19. > :27:23.local schools. It is a waste of time? Let us be clear, there is no
:27:24. > :27:26.compulsion to any area to say they have got to set up a grammar school,
:27:27. > :27:29.this is going to be something for local leaders of there. Where there
:27:30. > :27:33.is good provision that people think meets their needs there will be no
:27:34. > :27:36.need, and other areas this might be the root out of bad education
:27:37. > :27:40.options that particularly working-class children are looking
:27:41. > :27:44.for to drive up so some ability and give them a chance in life. Andy
:27:45. > :27:48.McDonald that evidence that children and five back into good to grammar
:27:49. > :27:53.schools do better. The thinking that this somehow improves social
:27:54. > :27:58.mobility denies the history of the last 50 years. To put a child
:27:59. > :28:01.through an exam at 11 years old and that failure on his or her forehead
:28:02. > :28:06.is an outrage. The stress and pressure of that characterises
:28:07. > :28:10.everything about the Conservative Party. All they want to do is make
:28:11. > :28:15.sure that they can invest in a minority of people and let the rest
:28:16. > :28:21.go to the wall. Through cobwebs of education doesn't do that. Social
:28:22. > :28:27.mobility at the moment is worse than it was in the 1960s. There is a lot
:28:28. > :28:32.of reasons for that. It's maybe schools. Because of the lack of
:28:33. > :28:35.investment in public services, social care, local authorities,
:28:36. > :28:40.trying to uplift everybody, rather than simply concentrate on a
:28:41. > :28:43.minority of people all the time. There you are, you're getting all
:28:44. > :28:47.the investment, everybody else can go to the war, that is not directly
:28:48. > :28:51.to go about it. We want the towns of everybody to be uplifted and raised
:28:52. > :29:02.and let's have full value in society. Fiona Hall? City schools,
:29:03. > :29:05.grammar schools, it is a distraction, across this region
:29:06. > :29:11.there are high schools that are losing half ?1 million. There are
:29:12. > :29:15.schools losing ?20,000. There are more than 100 teachers that are set
:29:16. > :29:17.to be lost in the West of the Northumberland over the next five
:29:18. > :29:24.years. This is just a distraction. What this really lacking is the
:29:25. > :29:28.basic funding going into schools so that our kids on a day by day basis
:29:29. > :29:33.can get the standard of education they need. There are lots of people
:29:34. > :29:36.in the audience you want to comment and I will give you a chance in a
:29:37. > :29:46.moment that that is a question that is related to this that comes from
:29:47. > :29:51.David from County Durham. The north # --
:29:52. > :29:57.I am wondering how the parties will govern differently to ensure
:29:58. > :29:59.fairness and equality for all in the future.
:30:00. > :30:03.We would devolve a lot more powers down to regional and local areas
:30:04. > :30:06.and we do not see any problem at all and giving the power
:30:07. > :30:09.to spend to local councils, the power to raise money,
:30:10. > :30:14.It would just be a different set of people spending their money?
:30:15. > :30:16.It means that you can eyeball your local councillor
:30:17. > :30:20.On schools for instance there is nothing between your board
:30:21. > :30:23.of governors and Department for Education.
:30:24. > :30:28.If you have got a problem you cannot talk to anybody about it.
:30:29. > :30:31.If you have clarity on a local level.
:30:32. > :30:35.What is the point in having had the elections on the 4th of May
:30:36. > :30:37.if those elected are not able to achieve anything?
:30:38. > :30:40.James Wharton, I know that there are still
:30:41. > :30:43.Conservative plans to freeze benefits, cap benefits.
:30:44. > :30:48.That is not going to help people, is it?
:30:49. > :30:51.If you want to give people the opportunities you have got
:30:52. > :30:57.to create an economy in which it is possible for people
:30:58. > :31:00.to get more jobs and we see unemployment at levels
:31:01. > :31:02.which we have not seen since the '70s which is welcome.
:31:03. > :31:15.In my region for the first time in the last few months it was not
:31:16. > :31:18.the worst region for unemployment in the UK.
:31:19. > :31:21.That is a good thing but I recognise there is still a long way to go.
:31:22. > :31:24.You need to devolve power locally and we have a track record
:31:25. > :31:27.when we have started to do that, for example Teesside,
:31:28. > :31:29.where we saw the election recently new powers being held locally.
:31:30. > :31:32.You have got to give people the opportunity to lift themselves
:31:33. > :31:35.up and do more and aspire because the heart of things
:31:36. > :31:37.like the grammar school argument is the of providing a good
:31:38. > :31:40.education, it's the heart of the free school argument as well,
:31:41. > :31:42.providing people with the tools with which they can
:31:43. > :31:44.better their own opportunities and ensuring that they get
:31:45. > :31:47.the outcomes and an economy that works in they can
:31:48. > :31:50.An economy that works, it has got to be employment
:31:51. > :31:53.that is of value to people, not part-time zero-hour contract
:31:54. > :31:55.work where people are sitting waiting with their mobile phones
:31:56. > :31:58.wondering how much work they are going to get that week.
:31:59. > :32:00.There has been an explosion under the Tories since 2010
:32:01. > :32:06.It is fragile and insecure, people cannot plan further futures.
:32:07. > :32:08.Recent surveys suggest was full-time employment in this
:32:09. > :32:15.region which was rising and part-timers going down.
:32:16. > :32:19.I am knocking doors on my territory and people working as chefs and also
:32:20. > :32:21.sorts of different places are saying they have
:32:22. > :32:23.just had their hours cut to ten hours per week.
:32:24. > :32:25.They still have the same outgoing and obligations
:32:26. > :32:43.is making sure that the north-east of England get
:32:44. > :32:44.investment into things like our transport infrastructure,
:32:45. > :32:49.I see ?10 per head being spent in London and the south-east,
:32:50. > :32:52.and only ?1 and the north-east, and that has got to change.
:32:53. > :32:56.I will come to the rest of the panel and a moment.
:32:57. > :33:01.How are you going to encourage business investment
:33:02. > :33:10.In France is 33%, and the United States it is 35%.
:33:11. > :33:22.We are talking about going down from 19 to 17%.
:33:23. > :33:28.If that taxpayers you will have no health service, no social care,
:33:29. > :33:36.I'd like to address the Ukip and Conservative candidates.
:33:37. > :33:45.You have acknowledged that there are a multitude
:33:46. > :33:47.of talents in society and children have different talents
:33:48. > :33:49.but when they start the education, their formal education,
:33:50. > :33:51.they all start at different points in the race, and also
:33:52. > :33:54.finished their primary school education, that gap widens before
:33:55. > :33:57.How can you ensure that that gap closes a bit
:33:58. > :34:00.if you are going to have grammar schools and you do support them,
:34:01. > :34:03.that they can't even start the race once they get into secondary school?
:34:04. > :34:15.Yes, I just wanted to say adult skills level in the region are way
:34:16. > :34:21.below the national average, what are panellists
:34:22. > :34:23.going to do support adult education in this region?
:34:24. > :34:25.Let us hear from Shirley Ford on this.
:34:26. > :34:29.The gap that was mentioned about in primary schools
:34:30. > :34:31.for children then sitting at test at 11, in areas where there
:34:32. > :34:34.are grammar schools currently, there is an industry of private
:34:35. > :34:56.What was mentioned about social mobility of children from poorer
:34:57. > :35:13.backgrounds getting into grammars, there are very few children
:35:14. > :35:15.from Poorer backgrounds can get into grammars, where they exist.
:35:16. > :35:19.In terms of redistributing the nation 's wealth,
:35:20. > :35:23.it is about devolution and new powers, but they shouldn't
:35:24. > :35:31.Our neighbours up in Scotland get a fantastic deal on education,
:35:32. > :35:34.investment in the infrastructure, and part of that is because of
:35:35. > :35:41.devolution but it's also because they have got independent
:35:42. > :35:43.voice from their nation for their nation and that's why I'm
:35:44. > :35:46.supporting the north-east party because ultimately it's
:35:47. > :35:47.about having somebody, and let's be honest,
:35:48. > :35:51.the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and that's a bit sooner Scotland.
:35:52. > :35:54.I'm 18 so I'm on my final year of school and I think it kind
:35:55. > :36:00.of ironic from my perspective hearing a lot of people who are not
:36:01. > :36:04.between the ages of 11-18 talking that are going to affect
:36:05. > :36:11.11-18 -year-olds, and the thing is, in the last five years people
:36:12. > :36:13.in secondary schools have suffered so much reform,
:36:14. > :36:15.A-levels have been completely change, GCSEs have been
:36:16. > :36:19.and the idea of grammar schools is going to be another
:36:20. > :36:22.complete different change, and I wondered what you as
:36:23. > :36:24.representatives for your constituents are going to do
:36:25. > :36:27.Fiona Mills have you talk to young people about grammar schools?
:36:28. > :36:43.When I have stalls in town a lot of young people talk to me.
:36:44. > :36:46.We need to take advice from yourselves as to
:36:47. > :36:52.Your question was about who you are going to help the less
:36:53. > :36:57.Ukip would raise the personal allowance to 13,500 keep more
:36:58. > :37:01.We would also put less VAT on fuel bills seeking more
:37:02. > :37:06.Going back to small businesses, they are the backbone of our economy
:37:07. > :37:09.and lead to support them, but what a lot of people.
:37:10. > :37:11.I don't want you to go to the entire manifesto.
:37:12. > :37:21.And the Barnett Formula is why Scotland has more funding.
:37:22. > :37:23.I just want to get a couple more from the audience.
:37:24. > :37:27.With respect to small businesses that was mentioned there,
:37:28. > :37:32.the two main parties are suggesting putting national wage
:37:33. > :37:51.My small business has always paid above the national minimum wage that
:37:52. > :37:54.will increase our wage roll by 125,000 in two years,
:37:55. > :38:08.When they introduced the National wage, people predicted it
:38:09. > :38:09.would cost economic meltdown and catastrophe, it didn't.
:38:10. > :38:13.It's got to be at a level that people can sustain themselves
:38:14. > :38:16.and not have to rely on the state to support and subsidise.
:38:17. > :38:19.Small businesses are indeed crucially important,
:38:20. > :38:22.that's why it's imperative that we have a lower rate
:38:23. > :38:24.of corporation tax for those businesses that are returning
:38:25. > :38:28.That's what we need to do for people there.
:38:29. > :38:30.Can I just mention the adult education point
:38:31. > :38:34.It is critical that those people who are going into adult education
:38:35. > :38:37.are not burdened by the fees that are preventing them getting on those
:38:38. > :38:43.courses, and those who are returning to training should have open access.
:38:44. > :38:54.We had a quote from the gentleman about corporation tax and Labour's
:38:55. > :38:56.response was look at France, it is higher there.
:38:57. > :38:59.Last year Yorkshire created more jobs in France,
:39:00. > :39:09.It is not a model who want to follow.
:39:10. > :39:15.too many answers further magic money cheese is in full bloom. Whatever we
:39:16. > :39:22.spend has to be predicated on a Sound economy. We are going to have
:39:23. > :39:30.two. Like I want to get one more question. Ryan. If your party gets
:39:31. > :39:36.into power what's funding will you provide for the building of the new
:39:37. > :39:41.nuclear power plant, both for creation of badly needed local jobs,
:39:42. > :39:45.and also to support long-term energy strategy for the nation? This is the
:39:46. > :39:49.new clear power station planned for West Cumbria that there has been
:39:50. > :39:54.difficulties for companies involved in it. Shirley Ford, presumably the
:39:55. > :39:58.answer is nothing? It would be because nuclear power is not the
:39:59. > :40:02.correct energy solution. It is too high and cost. We get the deal with
:40:03. > :40:06.Hinkley Point. It is ridiculously high. That costs will fall on
:40:07. > :40:10.consumers and hard-pressed businesses, big and small. It is
:40:11. > :40:14.very rewarding jobs could be a do other things that we would invest in
:40:15. > :40:19.instead of ads those skilled jobs needs to be created, absolutely in
:40:20. > :40:25.the north-west, Hartlepool, there must be that investment in skills,
:40:26. > :40:30.in renewable energy, into homes and buildings. Public transport that was
:40:31. > :40:36.mentioned. Those are the jobs of the future, not nuclear power. Andrew
:40:37. > :40:39.MacDonald, I know Jeremy Corbyn has had this road to Damascus style
:40:40. > :40:45.conversion to nuclear power but there has got to be some doubts. He
:40:46. > :40:47.was against it in the past. Funding help for a West Country
:40:48. > :40:53.nuclear-power station? Nuclear power as part of our energy mix and that
:40:54. > :41:01.is part of the party's position, we have set Blatter clearly. Will you
:41:02. > :41:04.make sure this development happens? The gentleman is talking about the
:41:05. > :41:10.proposed new power station, that should be given support, I know the
:41:11. > :41:13.company that was coming and, there were some difficulties, what we have
:41:14. > :41:16.got to do is demonstrate our commitment to make sure that that is
:41:17. > :41:22.successful. And some of the major issues in that part of the world our
:41:23. > :41:26.transport infrastructure problems. Rail and road problems there. The
:41:27. > :41:30.conviction that that part of Cumbria gets the investment it deserves and
:41:31. > :41:34.needs that will facilitate those investments and other parts of the
:41:35. > :41:37.world. The transport infrastructure has got to work for all, not just
:41:38. > :41:50.for a part of it. I was calling on the government to
:41:51. > :41:57.bring in the ?6 billion investment. Ukip support nuclear industry as
:41:58. > :42:02.part of a diverse mix in energy along with coal, oil, solar power.
:42:03. > :42:10.The government should have underwritten that investment. Fiona
:42:11. > :42:13.Hall, Liberal Democrats. Does not make sense to put money into
:42:14. > :42:20.nuclear. They have got more expensive over the last six years --
:42:21. > :42:25.60 years. Offshore wind has gone down. 30% cuts in the last five
:42:26. > :42:28.years. What we should be doing as I was discussing with an engineer from
:42:29. > :42:34.Cumbria and couple of days ago is actually making that site into a
:42:35. > :42:38.centre of excellence and decommissioning. We have skills no
:42:39. > :42:42.one in the country has at we could sell worldwide instead of having
:42:43. > :42:50.nuclear waste, let's get rid of it. James Wharton, Vista plant needs to
:42:51. > :42:55.happen for West Cumbria. This is a big investment project for Cumbria.
:42:56. > :43:00.Nuclear has got to be part of our energy mix. It divides a much needed
:43:01. > :43:04.caseload, unlike wind which can be intermittent, and is different to
:43:05. > :43:14.nuclear, nuclear has a key role in diverse in our -- diversifying our
:43:15. > :43:17.energy. They will have two ensure that it stacks up and the figures
:43:18. > :43:23.add up. Despite what some others might tell you, we need to be
:43:24. > :43:28.careful how we use taxpayers money. That is about it from us. A lot more
:43:29. > :43:32.to come in the last week of campaigning on BBC Look North and
:43:33. > :43:35.your local radio station. Remember the Twitter hashtag if you want to
:43:36. > :43:39.contribute to anything you have heard this evening. Bank to our
:43:40. > :43:42.panel, the audience here at Gateshead College and to you for
:43:43. > :43:47.watching at home. Good night to you from here at Gateshead College.
:43:48. > :44:04.APPLAUSE Hear the arguments
:44:05. > :44:08.from the politicians themselves.