:00:10. > :00:19.You're joking? Another one! That the government should call a general
:00:20. > :00:27.election. It's too much. The 8th of June. I can't really see the reason
:00:28. > :00:35.why... To secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs.
:00:36. > :00:42.For God's sake, I can't... I honestly can't stand it.
:00:43. > :01:00.For the Prime Minister, it has a kind of impeccable
:01:01. > :01:03.fix the majority while the sun is shining.
:01:04. > :01:06.She might need those extra seats if the rain falls
:01:07. > :01:11.She's gambling on a bigger win than David Cameron achieved last
:01:12. > :01:14.time, and the polls make that look a good bet for her.
:01:15. > :01:17.But for some in the country I suspect the feeling will be,
:01:18. > :01:19.if the sun is shining we should be out barbecuing, rather
:01:20. > :01:24.Even Westminster professionals, who normally love elections, must be
:01:25. > :01:26.feeling punch drunk - are we to have momentous
:01:27. > :01:28.national votes every year, as we've been doing since 2014?
:01:29. > :01:32.We have an extended programme tonight -
:01:33. > :01:35.we'll join Emily in Edinburgh later on, and we'll hear from
:01:36. > :01:41.But this could be a strange one: there are to be no TV debates,
:01:42. > :01:45.Also we have hugely important local elections
:01:46. > :01:57.And above all, the main parties are in Brexit-related
:01:58. > :02:00.Let's start with Nick Watt, our political editor.
:02:01. > :02:08.You will probably be seen a lot more of him over the next six weeks.
:02:09. > :02:11.Well, well, well. Where did that come from? Until recently all the
:02:12. > :02:15.signals from number ten word that the Prime Minister was adamant there
:02:16. > :02:19.should be no early general election. One Cabinet minister told me she
:02:20. > :02:23.thought it would be destabilising for the Brexit process. But I
:02:24. > :02:27.understand that in recent months a number of senior ministers, led
:02:28. > :02:31.notably by Philip Hammond and David Davis, said we respect what the
:02:32. > :02:35.Prime Minister is saying but don't close off your options, because it
:02:36. > :02:41.may well be that the most stabilising thing to do is hold the
:02:42. > :02:44.early general election. David Davis has been saying in private since
:02:45. > :02:47.Christmas that unless there was an early general election he would face
:02:48. > :02:52.trench warfare in the House of Lords with his early Brexit legislation.
:02:53. > :02:57.Interestingly as far back as July David Davis was heard saying in his
:02:58. > :03:04.inner circle he did not see how Brexit could be achieved without an
:03:05. > :03:08.early general election. OK, Nick. So any indications as to what sort of
:03:09. > :03:14.campaign Theresa May hopes to fight? The Prime Minister has secured the
:03:15. > :03:21.services of Lynton Crosby -- Sir Lynton Crosby, the pollster and
:03:22. > :03:24.political strategist who was rewarded with a knife
:03:25. > :03:39.-- rewarded with a knighthood by David Cameron. The choice on Brexit
:03:40. > :03:43.will be between certainty from the Torres and uncertainty from a
:03:44. > :03:46.hodgepodge of other parties, but this minister said to me there is
:03:47. > :03:49.one big difference, Jeremy Corbyn is a much better target for the
:03:50. > :03:58.Conservatives than Ed Miliband ever was. So, look, Evan, it's been
:03:59. > :04:05.another dramatic day in this still young Premiership.
:04:06. > :04:12.Over the quiet holiday period, Theresa May was busy hatching and
:04:13. > :04:20.Easter surprise. Only a handful of ministers and close aides were let
:04:21. > :04:22.in on the secret overnight, which was finally revealed after the media
:04:23. > :04:27.were unexpectedly summoned to Downing Street. It was with
:04:28. > :04:30.reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it
:04:31. > :04:35.is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong
:04:36. > :04:40.and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and
:04:41. > :04:44.beyond. Today's announcement amounted to the biggest U-turn by
:04:45. > :04:48.Theresa May, who had definitively rolled out an early election from
:04:49. > :04:53.the moment she stood for the Tory leadership. Under you, is it
:04:54. > :04:56.absolutely certain we will not see an election before 2020? I'm not
:04:57. > :05:00.going to be calling a snap election. I've been very clear that I think we
:05:01. > :05:05.need that period of time, that ability, to be able to deal with the
:05:06. > :05:10.issues the country is facing and have that election in 2020. The
:05:11. > :05:14.Prime Minister, who takes great pride in sticking to her word,
:05:15. > :05:18.darted to have a rethink as she started to embark on the Article 50
:05:19. > :05:23.process. She thought her in tire Brexit strategy could become gummed
:05:24. > :05:27.up in parliamentary wrangles after Lib Dem leader Tim Farron talked
:05:28. > :05:34.about using his sizeable contingent of peers to grind business to a
:05:35. > :05:41.halt. One minister also told me that a big mandate could strengthen the
:05:42. > :05:46.Prime Minister's and in Brussels negotiations and sideline hardline
:05:47. > :05:53.Brexiteers and hardline Remainers back home. Perish the thought that
:05:54. > :05:57.the strong poll lead was anywhere in the Prime Minister's Mind. I think
:05:58. > :06:01.she has made an entirely cynical calculation that between now and
:06:02. > :06:06.2020, now gives her the best chance of having a win. What she doesn't
:06:07. > :06:11.seem to be worried about, and denying she would do it, is throwing
:06:12. > :06:15.the whole Brexit process and our future as a country into uncertainty
:06:16. > :06:19.while we have that general election. Theresa May, who finally made up her
:06:20. > :06:22.mind during a walking holiday with her husband in Snowdonia, is
:06:23. > :06:27.sensitive to the charge that she is acting in her own, rather than the
:06:28. > :06:31.national, interests. Supporters were at pains to stress that the Prime
:06:32. > :06:35.Minister would never stoop so low. I really do think that the Prime
:06:36. > :06:37.Minister is governed by the national interests, and certainly that has
:06:38. > :06:42.been my experience of working with her. I think she would have very
:06:43. > :06:46.reluctantly taken the decision to call a general election. As she
:06:47. > :06:50.herself said, she didn't want to call this general election. It is of
:06:51. > :06:53.course rather handy that the national interest tallies with the
:06:54. > :06:56.Prime Minister's. It strengthens her hand because she will have the
:06:57. > :06:59.direct endorsement of the British people in an election and she would
:07:00. > :07:03.get an enhanced parliamentary majority to achieve that. One
:07:04. > :07:07.leading Tory Brexiteer believes the Prime Minister was left with no
:07:08. > :07:13.choice. At the moment what you have is Labour effectively threatening to
:07:14. > :07:17.hijack the final deal, the Lib Dems want a second referendum and have
:07:18. > :07:20.100 unelected members of the House of Lords who want to effectively
:07:21. > :07:28.gridlock this place, that is her threat -- their threat. The Scottish
:07:29. > :07:33.separatists have their own agenda. It is her reflection on how she's
:07:34. > :07:39.going to conduct these negotiations. And to eyeball the other side and
:07:40. > :07:43.say look, I can deliver this. Jeremy Corbyn's poor showing in opinion
:07:44. > :07:46.polls has prompted nerves among MPs that the party could face its worst
:07:47. > :07:53.ever election result in the post-war period. One minister told me Theresa
:07:54. > :08:00.May could close Central office and still win a landslide. We are in
:08:01. > :08:05.politics to change the way that our society works, to make it fairer and
:08:06. > :08:09.more socially sustainable for everybody. Those are arguments that
:08:10. > :08:13.we have had at every general election, regardless of who is the
:08:14. > :08:17.leader, and it is that argument that we have to get across. Jeremy will
:08:18. > :08:30.do it in his way, I will do it in my way. After her message, she was
:08:31. > :08:36.received enthusiastically to night. It's a general election, watch out,
:08:37. > :08:39.one former minister said. We were not meant to have
:08:40. > :08:45.an election until the 7th May 2020. That Act was meant to take
:08:46. > :08:52.the decision out of the hands It didn't work so well
:08:53. > :08:55.on that score. On the other hand,
:08:56. > :08:57.we have seen something That she is more of a tactician
:08:58. > :09:01.than she publicly likes to admit. Well, I sat down a little earlier
:09:02. > :09:09.with the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd. I began by asking her when she found
:09:10. > :09:13.out there would be a snap election. This morning, so after the Queen
:09:14. > :09:17.but before the rest of the Cabinet. Before the rest of the country,
:09:18. > :09:20.not before the rest of the Cabinet, or did you learn before the rest
:09:21. > :09:22.of the Cabinet? I learned before the rest
:09:23. > :09:26.of the Cabinet and then she set it And was there any dissent
:09:27. > :09:32.or debate in Cabinet, "We're going to have
:09:33. > :09:38.an election, that's that"? It's the Prime Minister's
:09:39. > :09:40.decision, isn't it, whether Well, no, because we have the fixed
:09:41. > :09:46.Parliament act, to stop... And indeed it is her decision
:09:47. > :09:48.to call the general election but it is up to the MPs tomorrow
:09:49. > :09:51.to decide whether that should go through or not,
:09:52. > :09:54.and we need two thirds then. But actually the answer
:09:55. > :09:56.to your question is, no, there was no dissent,
:09:57. > :09:58.a lot of people were surprised as well, but she had the unanimous
:09:59. > :10:01.support of Cabinet members. What would you say to those
:10:02. > :10:03.members of the public, and they may be a minority,
:10:04. > :10:06.who say, "We have voted in a referendum last year,
:10:07. > :10:09.an election in the year before, you've got a majority,
:10:10. > :10:12.just get on with it!" "Don't come back to us for another
:10:13. > :10:14.say, you should just Well, I would urge them to listen
:10:15. > :10:20.to the statement the Prime Minister made and perhaps the arguments
:10:21. > :10:23.the rest of us are setting out. She's been very clear why
:10:24. > :10:25.she has called this. The fact is, if we can have a strong
:10:26. > :10:28.negotiating hand as we go incredibly important EU negotiation,
:10:29. > :10:30.it will improve her opportunity to get
:10:31. > :10:34.a good deal for the UK. But this is a matter
:10:35. > :10:39.of trust, isn't it? "There will not be
:10:40. > :10:42.a general election". She could have said,
:10:43. > :10:44."Read my lips", but she didn't. She must have anticipated
:10:45. > :10:51.we were going to have a negotiation with the EU, she must have
:10:52. > :10:54.anticipated there would be the odd bit of dissent
:10:55. > :10:56.in the House of Lords... It's a perfectly fair point to make
:10:57. > :10:59.but the fact is the Prime Minister did address that argument,
:11:00. > :11:02.she did say, "I've come to this reluctantly and these
:11:03. > :11:04.are the reasons why". She hasn't been coy
:11:05. > :11:06.about hiding behind that. How can we trust her on other things
:11:07. > :11:09.that she's said, if she's so willing to change her mind on things
:11:10. > :11:13.on which she has been And then she will just
:11:14. > :11:20.pop up and say, OK, How could we trust her on, say,
:11:21. > :11:27.the pledge to reduce, which she has repeated recently,
:11:28. > :11:30.the pledge to reduce immigration Well, I would say,
:11:31. > :11:33.listen to the arguments. She has taken head-on that criticism
:11:34. > :11:38.in the speech that she made earlier today and we will be hearing more
:11:39. > :11:41.about it today. It is about the fact that we are now
:11:42. > :11:45.entering into this negotiation. There is no better time, really,
:11:46. > :11:48.to make sure that the Prime Minister We have always known
:11:49. > :12:01.that she wanted a strong hand. I do accept that it has been
:12:02. > :12:04.premeditated, as you're suggesting. I accept the fact that she has
:12:05. > :12:07.come to this reluctantly after thinking about it recently,
:12:08. > :12:09.and made this decision. She has been very candid about that
:12:10. > :12:13.and she has a reputation for taking her time to consider
:12:14. > :12:16.things and then making a decision. She has a reputation for being
:12:17. > :12:20.straight with the people... She took her time, she made
:12:21. > :12:24.a decision, and when the polls turned in her favour,
:12:25. > :12:26.decisively in her favour, And the public will have
:12:27. > :12:31.an opportunity to decide whether they see it like that
:12:32. > :12:34.in approximately 50 days. I asked you how we could
:12:35. > :12:36.trust her on other Can we trust her that immigration
:12:37. > :12:40.will come down to tens of thousands? The manifesto, if that's
:12:41. > :12:42.what you're asking about, We will be setting that out in next
:12:43. > :12:52.couple of weeks and then we will address that question
:12:53. > :12:54.and many others. Then it is possible that the 10,000
:12:55. > :12:57.pledge will not be in the manifesto? Right, well then it must be
:12:58. > :13:01.possible that it's not. It's really very hard
:13:02. > :13:04.for me to give an answer. It was reiterated on the 2nd
:13:05. > :13:07.of April when she was in India. You are now saying it is possible
:13:08. > :13:10.that that won't be in the manifesto. I'm not prepared to tell
:13:11. > :13:13.you what is going to be When it's out, I hope I'll
:13:14. > :13:18.have an opportunity for further The real reason many Tory analysts
:13:19. > :13:22.are suggesting that she called an election is not the polls,
:13:23. > :13:25.it is that she wants a bigger majority because she's
:13:26. > :13:27.scared of the Brexiteers Because, one day, she might have
:13:28. > :13:35.to come back in the next two years and say it's not as easy as I have
:13:36. > :13:38.suggested, folks, it's going to be quite a tough thing and the Brexit
:13:39. > :13:42.is not going to be as clear-cut Do you think that's
:13:43. > :13:45.why she has done it? There are many people trying
:13:46. > :13:48.to rationalise what happened today which did come as a
:13:49. > :13:52.surprise to many others. I can't give you I a yes or no
:13:53. > :13:56.to that question because people are throwing up all sorts
:13:57. > :13:58.of different theories about it. What I can say is that it certainly
:13:59. > :14:01.gives her an opportunity, if she gets what we hope she'll get
:14:02. > :14:04.but we are not complacent, a good majority, the opportunity
:14:05. > :14:07.to arrive at an potential compromises within the EU,
:14:08. > :14:10.potential lines that she can set but there will be plenty
:14:11. > :14:12.of opportunities to debate them You are actually, in a way,
:14:13. > :14:19.your language, very interestingly, is confirming some of the suspicions
:14:20. > :14:22.that people have voiced, which is she is paving the way
:14:23. > :14:24.to get a bigger majority which will make it easier
:14:25. > :14:28.for her to deliver a slightly softer Brexit than
:14:29. > :14:31.she has hitherto suggested. I think you're jumping
:14:32. > :14:35.too far ahead on that. I don't think we know yet what sort
:14:36. > :14:39.of Brexit were going to end up with. She's told us what she
:14:40. > :14:41.wants, hasn't she? And she's going to
:14:42. > :14:52.get what she wants. Well, we hope so but those
:14:53. > :14:56.negotiations haven't even begun yet. But you're entertaining the idea
:14:57. > :14:59.that it could be slightly softer Again, I don't think we should look
:15:00. > :15:03.yet for all those conspiracy There are lots of different
:15:04. > :15:06.theories, perfectly sensible, perhaps, but the one that is most
:15:07. > :15:09.important is the timing. The fact that we have triggered
:15:10. > :15:12.Article 50, we don't want to be going into an election year,
:15:13. > :15:14.as we enter the final We want to be able to have that full
:15:15. > :15:19.mandate, the five years to go ahead so that we do negotiations and then
:15:20. > :15:22.go ahead for the next years. There's a whole year of being out
:15:23. > :15:32.before the next election. We don't have a year
:15:33. > :15:36.of elections, do we? The fact is, the EU would know,
:15:37. > :15:39.in terms of any negotiations, for the final deal, that the UK
:15:40. > :15:42.would be going into In terms of having a strong hand
:15:43. > :15:46.in negotiating with the EU, you don't want a UK election
:15:47. > :15:48.to be on the cards. If you want to say this
:15:49. > :15:51.is the mandate that the UK has, last year's referendum
:15:52. > :15:53.was decisive but close. I hope that this year we can get
:15:54. > :15:57.a strong mandate so we can go and negotiate for Brexit
:15:58. > :16:00.in the national interest. Theresa May has made very clear
:16:01. > :16:03.voting for her gives her So, what should people say
:16:04. > :16:11.to her if they like Theresa May, they like the Tories but they don't
:16:12. > :16:13.like her Brexit? Well, I would ask them
:16:14. > :16:17.to interrogate that Brexit. So she set out, at the Lancaster
:16:18. > :16:20.House meeting, her Brexit proposals. You say she wants out
:16:21. > :16:26.of the single market, I agree. But the phrase is,
:16:27. > :16:28.the widest possible access You said she wants out
:16:29. > :16:31.of the customs union, I agree but she still wants to have
:16:32. > :16:34.negotiating where we can participate in some elements of the customs
:16:35. > :16:37.union to help our businesses. So, I don't think it's quite
:16:38. > :16:40.as clear cut as you're putting it. I listened to that Lancaster House
:16:41. > :16:42.speech that she gave... She talked about the widest possible
:16:43. > :16:45.access to the single market. She's been admirably clear
:16:46. > :16:48.about a very hard Brexit. Stephen Dorrell, who was
:16:49. > :16:54.a Tory Health Secretary was saying we need to vote for candidates
:16:55. > :17:02.candidates who are pro-European who wanted to extend
:17:03. > :17:06.our relationship with Europe. I don't recognise this
:17:07. > :17:08.description of hard Brexit You can call it sensible Brexit,
:17:09. > :17:17.you can call it national interest Brexit, but it's neither
:17:18. > :17:19.one extreme or the other. It's a practical Brexit
:17:20. > :17:22.were going to try and deliver Theresa May wants it to be
:17:23. > :17:28.an election about Brexit She said the country is coming
:17:29. > :17:33.together, but Westminster is not, hence the need to change
:17:34. > :17:37.the personnel at Westminster, so what will this
:17:38. > :17:39.election be fought over? Theresa May's other plans such
:17:40. > :17:45.as the reinvention of capitalism? Jeremy Corbyn's plans
:17:46. > :17:48.for social care and inheritance tax? Maybe issues
:17:49. > :17:51.won't determine it at all. One thing to look out
:17:52. > :17:54.for is the fact the new election gives parties a chance to dump
:17:55. > :17:57.the promises they've made before, Our policy editor,
:17:58. > :18:08.Chris Cook, reports. Soon, the electoral bandwagons
:18:09. > :18:15.will start their role across the UK. We've had a lot of big
:18:16. > :18:19.public votes lately. This time around, though, what will
:18:20. > :18:23.the arguments actually be about? A useful idea here is
:18:24. > :18:27.so-called issue salience. Pollsters track which topics people
:18:28. > :18:30.are really thinking about. Don't worry too much
:18:31. > :18:36.about the numbers, just watch this line here,
:18:37. > :18:38.representing interest and worry It has surged as a topic lately,
:18:39. > :18:45.overtaking old standards Brexit is Britain's
:18:46. > :18:50.number one issue. So, as pollsters we're trying
:18:51. > :18:53.to understand all the different things that have an impact
:18:54. > :18:57.on how people vote. That includes things like
:18:58. > :18:59.party image, leader image, But one of the crucial things
:19:00. > :19:04.in the mix is issues. Things like the economy, NHS,
:19:05. > :19:08.immigration, Brexit and so on. What is most important to voters
:19:09. > :19:11.when they go to the polling station? So here are the latest up issues
:19:12. > :19:14.according to Ipsos Mori. In fourth place,
:19:15. > :19:20.education or schools. So, watch which topics
:19:21. > :19:37.Ms May chose today. Britain is leaving
:19:38. > :19:39.the European Union. Let us put forward our plans
:19:40. > :19:45.for Brexit and our alternative programmes for government,
:19:46. > :19:48.and then let the people decide. The Liberal Democrats think
:19:49. > :19:51.Brexit works for them too. Well, it's an opportunity
:19:52. > :19:53.for the people of this country to change the direction of this
:19:54. > :19:56.country, to decide that they do not want a hard Brexit,
:19:57. > :19:58.they want to keep Britain Labour, though, seemed to be seeking
:19:59. > :20:01.a broader discussion. I welcome the opportunity to put
:20:02. > :20:05.the case to the people of Britain, to stand up against this government
:20:06. > :20:09.and its failed economic agenda which has left our NHS in problems
:20:10. > :20:12.which has left our schools underfunded which has left
:20:13. > :20:14.so many people uncertain. The SNP is trying to
:20:15. > :20:21.define itself broadly That would mean not just
:20:22. > :20:28.the hardest possible Brexit. More austerity and deeper cuts
:20:29. > :20:31.so now is the time for Scotland's voice to be heard and for people
:20:32. > :20:35.in Scotland to stand up for the kind of country we want Scotland to be
:20:36. > :20:38.under but the campaign that I look forward to leading
:20:39. > :20:44.in the weeks ahead. But the thread of another
:20:45. > :20:46.independence referendum is going to be the one that runs
:20:47. > :20:51.through all the other parties Theresa May's defining topic though
:20:52. > :20:55.might be something else. Collectors don't just
:20:56. > :21:00.look at policy topics. It's also about issues
:21:01. > :21:02.such as competence. Do voters think that the parties
:21:03. > :21:05.will make a difference and they take a kind of emotional view
:21:06. > :21:07.on this, as well. Parts of her speech have played
:21:08. > :21:12.alongside a chart of whom voters And the decision facing the country
:21:13. > :21:19.will be all about leadership. It will be a choice between strong
:21:20. > :21:24.and stable leadership in the national interest with me
:21:25. > :21:37.as your Prime Minister all week -- or weak and unstable coalition
:21:38. > :21:40.government led by Jeremy Corbyn. You may have heard
:21:41. > :21:42.some of this before. This was basically
:21:43. > :21:44.the 2015 Tory pitch. Britain has a choice
:21:45. > :21:46.between the competence that has got us this far or the chaos of giving
:21:47. > :21:49.it up, going backwards, So, in short, expect something
:21:50. > :21:52.of a best of compilation some of the 2016 fight on Brexit,
:21:53. > :21:57.some of the 2015 general election and, for viewers in Scotland,
:21:58. > :22:19.yet another chapter in the argument I said this was an interesting
:22:20. > :22:31.election. This is why. Much of the action is within the parties.
:22:32. > :22:36.Will voters defy the usual party boundaries.
:22:37. > :22:38.We're joined by the Baroness Tessa Jowell, who served under Tony Blair,
:22:39. > :22:53.Do you think Brexit is going to loom over this election? This is on that
:22:54. > :22:59.-- undoubtedly a Brexit election. What is important to remember is
:23:00. > :23:05.that Brexit has served as a powerful proxy for people. I represented a
:23:06. > :23:10.seat in south London for 23 years, I did surgeries every week, nobody
:23:11. > :23:17.ever came to my surgery and said, the real problem I face is that we
:23:18. > :23:23.are members of the European Union. So, Brexit has become a very
:23:24. > :23:27.powerful proxy for, I think, and apprehension about change, a sense
:23:28. > :23:34.of being left behind, seeing the economy create hot spots like
:23:35. > :23:42.London, like other successful cities in the UK, whereas very many
:23:43. > :23:47.communities feel overwhelmed by the pace of change and the consequences
:23:48. > :23:52.of that for them. Here's one example. Very quickly. Boston in
:23:53. > :24:00.Lincolnshire voted by the largest margin to leave the European Union,
:24:01. > :24:05.a very large number of migrants, not any longer working in the fields,
:24:06. > :24:09.the agricultural community of Boston on a seasonal basis but because
:24:10. > :24:18.technology has changed living there most of the time. I'm interested in
:24:19. > :24:21.how this plays in the election. 48% are the ones feeling the political
:24:22. > :24:29.system has left them behind. Some of them would say let's not go ahead
:24:30. > :24:35.with this. You are among those. What is the tactic over the next seven
:24:36. > :24:41.weeks? Do you stick with party loyalty or do you say look at my
:24:42. > :24:44.candidate, I want a candidate who stands up for the things I believe
:24:45. > :24:55.in and I'm not going to vote for one who doesn't. This is one of those
:24:56. > :24:59.seas where, as the report said, brakes on nonparty, non-tribal
:25:00. > :25:05.lines. In a sense, that's always been the case. There has always
:25:06. > :25:12.been... What happens in the election? What are you going to do
:25:13. > :25:19.if you are fanatically for Remain and you are in Kate Hoey's
:25:20. > :25:35.constituency and she is a fervent lever. -- leave. Many people want to
:25:36. > :25:41.make this about the National Health Service, so on. This is not going to
:25:42. > :25:44.happen. It is about Brexit. The responsibility of candidates of
:25:45. > :25:49.every party is to not just sign up to Brexit at any cost, which I
:25:50. > :25:56.believe will create enormous damage to the country in the long-term but
:25:57. > :26:02.to come back, those who are elected to Westminster, with a mandate based
:26:03. > :26:09.on the understanding of their constituents, invested trust in them
:26:10. > :26:16.as their representatives. I'm going to push you a little bit. I want to
:26:17. > :26:23.know where this goes. Would you consider voting Lib Dem if you had a
:26:24. > :26:27.Labour candidate who was pro-Brexit? No. I am now a member of the House
:26:28. > :26:33.of Lords. I am not facing election. But I hope that the members of my
:26:34. > :26:43.party who are facing election and whose efforts I hope to support will
:26:44. > :26:47.take the case for Europe. They have failed to make the case for Europe.
:26:48. > :26:59.To give people the opportunity to think again, if the promises that
:27:00. > :27:06.the Brexit lobby have made do not materialise. Tony Blair has said he
:27:07. > :27:13.is ready to stand and support certain Lib Dems. Would you support?
:27:14. > :27:18.I don't think that's the case. I think it is pure mischief. It's a
:27:19. > :27:24.very dangerous thing to discredit the importance of this issue and
:27:25. > :27:28.turn it into one about tactical political cross-dressing. Tessa,
:27:29. > :27:32.thank you very much. The two men who ran
:27:33. > :27:36.the 2015 campaign for the Conservatives and Labour -
:27:37. > :27:48.Sir Craig Oliver Political crossed Racing. How much
:27:49. > :27:55.of it is going to go on? -- political crossed Racing. Tessa is
:27:56. > :28:00.right. This is going to be a Brexit election. It will enable more
:28:01. > :28:05.tactical decision-making than before. Do I think Labour voters
:28:06. > :28:08.should vote Lib Dem? I don't. I don't think Labour can win the
:28:09. > :28:11.election that I think we need to have strong opposition after the
:28:12. > :28:16.election and that some point were going to have a different leader
:28:17. > :28:21.than Jeremy Corbyn and they need to inherit some MPs and spirit within
:28:22. > :28:25.the Labour Party. Craig, I asked Tessa Jowell whether she would vote
:28:26. > :28:30.for Kate Hoey. How should Michael Heseltine vote in this election? I'm
:28:31. > :28:36.not going to advise Michael Heseltine. What was interesting
:28:37. > :28:41.about what Teza was saying, she is right. This is largely going to be a
:28:42. > :28:45.Brexit election. It is an election where the majority of the electorate
:28:46. > :28:50.understand it is going to happen and they will ask who is most competent
:28:51. > :28:55.to deal with this big issue. The second thing is who is going to be
:28:56. > :29:00.the most effective leader. By a country mile, Theresa May is ahead
:29:01. > :29:07.in that front. I suspect when those questions are asked, who is the best
:29:08. > :29:12.leader, who is the most competent, I think for many people be answerable
:29:13. > :29:19.be obvious. Do Labour need to have a specific Brexit plan for people to
:29:20. > :29:24.vote for? I think they do. One of the problems today is Labour trying
:29:25. > :29:28.to change the subject. They have got to embrace that this is about Brexit
:29:29. > :29:32.and they have got to get some clarity and distinctiveness. They
:29:33. > :29:37.are not going to get anywhere by saying, take a little bit of
:29:38. > :29:40.immigration and get some access to the single market. People need to
:29:41. > :29:42.know where they stand on this central issue of our generation. And
:29:43. > :29:52.I don't. Right, and you work in the party!
:29:53. > :29:59.Let talk about where you would run this? If you're a head in the polls
:30:00. > :30:01.and ahead on leadership, those are the two natural questions. What I
:30:02. > :30:05.think you will see is the Conservative Party over the next
:30:06. > :30:09.seven weeks constantly asking those questions, who is best to deal with
:30:10. > :30:13.Brexit? Who has the best leader? They feel they have the answers,
:30:14. > :30:17.they feel the stars have aligned. They feel the Labour Party is in
:30:18. > :30:21.total disarray. Interesting point Tom makes about having to have a
:30:22. > :30:26.Lear position on Brexit, when half of your seats are Remain and half
:30:27. > :30:29.are Leave, that is very difficult. What would be the advice to the
:30:30. > :30:35.Torres on how to run this election? We will come to Labour in a second.
:30:36. > :30:40.I think they probably taken it. Theresa May holds all the cards. She
:30:41. > :30:45.is trying to pitch this as, who do you trust to get the best deal for
:30:46. > :30:49.Britain? The alternative for Labour, trying to make it about anything
:30:50. > :30:54.other than Brexit, it comes down to the personality of the leader and
:30:55. > :30:59.Theresa May is going to win on that. She has got to make it about her
:31:00. > :31:02.leadership and the Brexit negotiations and that looks very
:31:03. > :31:05.strong. I did quite a feud interviews today and the only people
:31:06. > :31:10.really coming out for Labour were people like Tom, who are basically
:31:11. > :31:13.feeling a bit awkward about the reality of their current leadership.
:31:14. > :31:17.And I think that's another real problem during this campaign, there
:31:18. > :31:21.is a lot of Labour people thinking, maybe if Jeremy Corbyn just gets
:31:22. > :31:25.damaged that little bit will knock out and we can get someone who is
:31:26. > :31:32.more effective. We will put that to Emily Thornbury, who will be on.
:31:33. > :31:36.What would be your advice to Labour? It wouldn't start from here. They
:31:37. > :31:40.are in an incredibly difficult situation. They've got a leader who
:31:41. > :31:44.is seen, broadly, as incompetent. They are split down the middle. The
:31:45. > :31:49.reality is, you're going to have to try and force it on issues like the
:31:50. > :31:55.NHS, education. There is a lot of divisiveness about that kind of
:31:56. > :31:59.thing. They are trying to talk about the NHS and other things and maybe,
:32:00. > :32:04.Tom, that is the best place. They've got a mountain to climb. That may be
:32:05. > :32:06.the best thing for Labour. If they don't take this opportunity to get
:32:07. > :32:10.clarity on Brexit, they're going to offer even more because it will
:32:11. > :32:14.become about Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May. They have this one
:32:15. > :32:19.opportunity to get some clarity on this key issue. I think they could
:32:20. > :32:24.say that this is an election where Theresa May looks incredibly strong
:32:25. > :32:28.but she is actually called it out of weakness. She knows Brexit is going
:32:29. > :32:32.to be a disaster, she knows it's not going to be a land of milk and
:32:33. > :32:36.honey, she is cutting and running before the reality bites for Brexit.
:32:37. > :32:38.This is actually Theresa May being week rather than strong. Thank you
:32:39. > :32:49.both very much indeed. Anything can happen in politics
:32:50. > :32:51.these days, and so even though Labour looks to have a mountain
:32:52. > :32:54.to climb, it surely can win. But it is, in a way,
:32:55. > :32:57.two parties at the moment, not one. Corbyn supporters and his critics
:32:58. > :33:00.take different views on many things. The critics probably
:33:01. > :33:02.won't want to rock the boat, The New Statesman's special
:33:03. > :33:05.correspondent, Stephen Bush, the country's closest watcher
:33:06. > :33:25.of Labour politics, has been looking This piece contains graffiti that
:33:26. > :33:27.some may find offensive. Jeremy Corbyn's challenge is to break out
:33:28. > :33:34.of places like this and appeal to people all around the country.
:33:35. > :33:39.Labour will fight two campaigns in June. The first will be campaigns
:33:40. > :33:45.all around the country, campaigns designed to say we will take the
:33:46. > :33:51.most and give to everybody, like free school meals. They hope this
:33:52. > :33:56.will give people a chance to change their mind on Jeremy Corbyn.
:33:57. > :33:58.The pessimists in Jeremy Corbyn's campaign are fighting a very
:33:59. > :34:01.They believe that the opposition of its
:34:02. > :34:04.own MPs, the effectiveness of Brexit on the Labour vote and Theresa May's
:34:05. > :34:06.own popularity means that they cannot win this election.
:34:07. > :34:08.What they are hoping to do is to fight a
:34:09. > :34:11.second election as leader, just as Neil Kinnock did.
:34:12. > :34:14.That's why they, like his critics, will actually be fighting
:34:15. > :34:23.another campaign - to convince other
:34:24. > :34:25.Labour Party members that th ensuing defeat was
:34:26. > :34:39.If we ask how we got here, it is possible to answer that
:34:40. > :34:42.traditional politics - both new Labour and old Tory -
:34:43. > :34:44.had failed to maintain a connection to blue collar voters,
:34:45. > :34:47.often in towns and small cities of the north of England.
:34:48. > :34:49.They often voted for Brexit and have electoral force.
:34:50. > :34:52.They are Labour's old base, but it has been suggested that some
:34:53. > :34:54.of them might be persuaded to vote Tory.
:34:55. > :34:56.The Labour constituency of Barrow and Furness is a good one
:34:57. > :34:59.Filmmaker Nick Blakemore has spent time before
:35:00. > :35:00.today's announcement, sounding out voters
:35:01. > :35:14.The Conservatives at this time are the only party that are going to
:35:15. > :35:21.deliver Brexit. Could you consider voting for them? I could consider
:35:22. > :35:25.voting for them because of that. All my friends are working class people.
:35:26. > :35:29.We are all working class people, mainly in Barrow. But a lot of my
:35:30. > :35:38.friends think the Conservatives are the ones with brains, and sometimes,
:35:39. > :35:43.to put it bluntly, they think they are a pack of
:35:44. > :35:54.away they treat people, I don't think people see the left as being
:35:55. > :35:59.smart people at the moment. I have worked since the age of 14. I work
:36:00. > :36:05.long hours and I put everything I've got into it. I don't expect anything
:36:06. > :36:09.handed to me. But I do know people who have actually said to me, I am
:36:10. > :36:13.better off being on the dole, though why should I work? I have voted
:36:14. > :36:17.Labour all my life but I don't think I will in the next election. I'm
:36:18. > :36:22.swinging towards Theresa May, I think she's a strong woman. I think
:36:23. > :36:26.she will get more backing from her party than Jeremy Corbyn look will.
:36:27. > :36:31.I think she's very patriotically machine once the country to be
:36:32. > :36:35.better. I think she cares about what normal people, everyday people that
:36:36. > :36:41.go to work nine to five, have to do all the stuff that we don't like, I
:36:42. > :36:46.think she cares about what they think and she wants to make that
:36:47. > :36:50.better for them. So for someone who has voted Labour all their life is
:36:51. > :36:55.it fair to say that you might think about voting Conservative? Yes. If
:36:56. > :37:03.they are the ones that are going to get the job done, absolutely. --
:37:04. > :37:09.yes. With Brexit. Yes. I'm looking for a party that tells me the truth,
:37:10. > :37:15.that not only talks the talk but walks the walk. I'll be honest with
:37:16. > :37:21.you, I am a Labour man. Theresa May, yeah, I'm not saying... She's saying
:37:22. > :37:28.the right things, but I don't think I could actually pull myself to vote
:37:29. > :37:32.Tory at this point in time. Having said that, I've got to be honest
:37:33. > :37:37.with you, Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party, if there was ever a
:37:38. > :37:41.time in the Labour Party's existence, now is the time for unity
:37:42. > :37:48.and it's just not there. Everybody in the country can see it. There's
:37:49. > :37:55.no way that the establishment, the media and the establishment, are
:37:56. > :38:00.going to allow a left of centre government to get into power. The
:38:01. > :38:06.media perception of Corbyn is disgraceful. He doesn't stand up for
:38:07. > :38:10.himself. If Corbyn was my MP in Barrow, I would vote for him as a
:38:11. > :38:14.constituency MP, but I don't think I support him in his views in
:38:15. > :38:20.government. Because I think he is too wishy-washy. Brexit is obviously
:38:21. > :38:29.the issue. It's certainly confusing. I think the electorate will be
:38:30. > :38:33.confused as to where they would vote with their natural allegiances. What
:38:34. > :38:39.Theresa May said on the streets of Downing Street, if she was a Labour
:38:40. > :38:44.Prime Minister, I would have been very pleased with it. What do you
:38:45. > :38:49.mean by that? Because I thought she was very... This is when she became
:38:50. > :38:52.Prime Minister? When she became Prime Minister, yeah. She was going
:38:53. > :38:58.to look after the ones who were only just managing, she said. The actions
:38:59. > :39:02.will be so much different from the words, but it's going to take time
:39:03. > :39:05.for that to come through, for the electorate to see that, that they
:39:06. > :39:10.don't really mean that, they're going to look after their own like
:39:11. > :39:13.they always do. The working class people now are changing. They don't
:39:14. > :39:20.want to be classed as working class. That's it, it's gone. We are a small
:39:21. > :39:26.island, but we are miles apart, you know, from the southern end to the
:39:27. > :39:33.northern end, and miles apart in the thinking, sometimes. Voters in
:39:34. > :39:39.Barrow and Furness, there. The Labour MP for Barrow and Furness,
:39:40. > :39:42.John Woodcock, has said in a Facebook video tonight that he
:39:43. > :39:48.cannot endorse Jeremy Corbyn is the next Prime Minister, adding that
:39:49. > :39:49.there is still time for him to stand down as the Labour leader rather
:39:50. > :39:56.than take Labour to defeat. Emily Thornbury is
:39:57. > :40:01.the Shadow Foreign Secretary. Do you accept that there has been some cut
:40:02. > :40:06.through from Theresa May into the labour base in the last couple of
:40:07. > :40:10.years? I thought what he said was very interesting and he said, I like
:40:11. > :40:16.what it is that she says and what this election ought to be about is,
:40:17. > :40:21.what it is that they're doing. Let's look at the evidence. Let's look at
:40:22. > :40:25.fact that they are cutting money per pupil, we're getting cuts to
:40:26. > :40:30.schools. For the first time since, I don't know, 30, 40 years, if your
:40:31. > :40:39.child breaks their arm, they will wait seven hours in A We know
:40:40. > :40:42.this. Your carer will only be there at lunch time, you have to go along
:40:43. > :40:46.and look after your mum yourself because of the cuts to social care.
:40:47. > :40:50.That is the reality. That is what is our job during this election, to
:40:51. > :40:53.say, actually as a country we are failing. We're failing
:40:54. > :40:58.internationally but we're failing nationally in terms of the
:40:59. > :41:02.economy... How many years has it been since the banks now, seven
:41:03. > :41:05.years, and we're told we need to continue to cut back on public
:41:06. > :41:10.services to pay off the debt, and the debt continues to go up. A lot
:41:11. > :41:13.of people are saying this is a Brexit election, Labour will try and
:41:14. > :41:18.talk about other things because Labour's position Brexit just isn't
:41:19. > :41:23.clear. When it comes to Brexit, the Lib Dems are very clear. The Torres
:41:24. > :41:30.are clear. And Labour is kind of straddling... Well, you know, we
:41:31. > :41:33.haven't picked a side. We are a national party and we want to
:41:34. > :41:37.represent the nation. The fact that we have people who wanted to remain
:41:38. > :41:40.at people who wanted to leave is actually a strength. It's a
:41:41. > :41:44.strength? It is a strength because there has to be a party that tries
:41:45. > :41:48.to pull the country together, that gets a deal that works for
:41:49. > :41:54.everybody. But that implies people should say, look, I'm a Brexit here,
:41:55. > :41:59.I'm not going to remain for a Remain MP, or vice versa. If you can't come
:42:00. > :42:02.up with a party position on what is the overwhelmingly most important
:42:03. > :42:06.issue that everybody is talking about, isn't that a problem? Two
:42:07. > :42:11.things, the first thing is we have a ready had a vote on Brexit, why do
:42:12. > :42:14.we need another one? We had one a year ago when the public decided
:42:15. > :42:18.they wanted to leave. Labour's position is that we accept that
:42:19. > :42:22.result but we need to make sure we look after the economy first. The
:42:23. > :42:25.most important thing is the safety and security of citizens and the
:42:26. > :42:29.second most important thing is the economy. Then we say, Theresa May,
:42:30. > :42:33.you promised six things that we really like and we're going to hold
:42:34. > :42:37.you do that and we will vote against you if you don't. Will you come up
:42:38. > :42:41.with an alternative Brexit model that the voters can say, actually we
:42:42. > :42:47.prefer the Labour model to Theresa May's model? Let's just start with
:42:48. > :42:50.this. We need to have a government that understands that the economy is
:42:51. > :42:58.more important than anything else. That is what every economy around
:42:59. > :43:03.the world does. -- every country. A plan that says, here is a clear
:43:04. > :43:08.choice, Britain, you have two Brexit Global you can choose... The
:43:09. > :43:11.government has said they can get a free trade deal with the European
:43:12. > :43:14.Union where we can get the same benefits as we have at the moment.
:43:15. > :43:20.We say, great, you can do that and we will hold you do that, because
:43:21. > :43:25.that is what we need. That is saying you should vote for Theresa May! To
:43:26. > :43:28.see if she can get that. The point is that her vision for Brexit is
:43:29. > :43:32.promising everyone everything and hoping to press every single button,
:43:33. > :43:36.and we have said, you cannot have all of that. Here are the things we
:43:37. > :43:41.think are the priorities and we will hold you to account on that. Having
:43:42. > :43:46.an election about you holding them to account on something they haven't
:43:47. > :43:49.done... Today on the steps of Downing Street she is saying, we
:43:50. > :43:52.don't like the opposition playing games with us and being mean to us,
:43:53. > :43:55.we're going to have a general election and hope to get rid of the
:43:56. > :44:00.opposition and get lots of votes, and we want a blank cheque. They had
:44:01. > :44:09.a limited amount of time to do these elections, negotiations...
:44:10. > :44:14.Respectfully, the election has to be on your alternative prospectus, not
:44:15. > :44:18.on you holding them to account on their prospectus. It has to be about
:44:19. > :44:22.the colony, it has to be about people's day-to-day lives. It is
:44:23. > :44:29.about schools being cut, it is about... John Woodcock, an MP saying
:44:30. > :44:32.I couldn't vote for Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister but I am Labour and I
:44:33. > :44:38.wanted win my seat and be reselected as the candidate for Labour. What
:44:39. > :44:41.should the members of his party in that constituency do? People who are
:44:42. > :44:46.sitting MPs will be how candidates in the next general election.
:44:47. > :45:02.-- John Woodcock doesn't have to vote for Jeremy Corbyn as leader.
:45:03. > :45:07.Absolutely we can win. Theresa May can't put forward what she wants for
:45:08. > :45:11.Brexit because she wants to put everything at the moment. If people
:45:12. > :45:12.vote Conservative, they will be giving her a blank cheque. Vote
:45:13. > :45:13.Labour. Well, Scotland turned out to be
:45:14. > :45:16.one of the big stories the SNP was cited by Theresa May
:45:17. > :45:20.as one reason for going So let us go to Edinburgh
:45:21. > :45:34.now, and Emily there. Thanks very much. We've come to
:45:35. > :45:37.Scotland to ask whether the Prime Minister 's decision was the huge
:45:38. > :45:41.political miscalculation that Nicola Sturgeon declared it to be today.
:45:42. > :45:48.The SNP dominated here. They created the biggest elliptical swings ever
:45:49. > :45:54.seen in a modern UK election when they fought the Westminster seats
:45:55. > :45:59.here some two years ago. They won all but three. Can they maintain
:46:00. > :46:02.that level of power or will they have two slide backwards from
:46:03. > :46:08.something that already seems pretty miraculous in terms of election
:46:09. > :46:15.gains. Perhaps the biggest question is what will the decision to cause a
:46:16. > :46:19.Westminster general election mean for the future of Scotland? Has
:46:20. > :46:24.Theresa May given a mandate to Nicola Sturgeon to do the same thing
:46:25. > :46:28.here in triggering the second referendum we know she wants. If so,
:46:29. > :46:34.can she bring Scotland in behind her. Lets talk to Sarah Smith. We've
:46:35. > :46:42.already leapfrogged that sense of the general election to move onto
:46:43. > :46:46.this question of Scotland's future. The independent is going to totally
:46:47. > :46:51.dominate this campaign. It won't be about Brexit, it will be about
:46:52. > :46:55.another referendum. In some ways, it will be a referendum on whether
:46:56. > :47:01.there should be another referendum on independence. The SNP believe
:47:02. > :47:04.they can use this to bolster their demands for another referendum
:47:05. > :47:09.because at the moment Theresa May says she will not allow one until
:47:10. > :47:15.Britain has left the EU. They may have two answer a few tricky
:47:16. > :47:19.questions. If we have a campaign talking about independence, voters
:47:20. > :47:22.might want to know what an independent Scotland would be like.
:47:23. > :47:28.What currency? Whether Scotland would seek full EU membership.
:47:29. > :47:37.Questions they are not ready to answer fully yet. The Scottish
:47:38. > :47:41.Parliament already voted for another referendum but a campaign could help
:47:42. > :47:45.them in that demand. The Tories feel that they can make significant gains
:47:46. > :47:58.in Scotland. They could put in their manifesto a specific aim to deny a
:47:59. > :48:05.referendum on Scottish independence. I am going to put that question to a
:48:06. > :48:09.supporter of the SNP and someone who is a thorn in the side for Nicola
:48:10. > :48:14.Sturgeon. Do you think this is what she has in mind, this idea that
:48:15. > :48:20.Theresa May could put something in the manifesto that rules out a
:48:21. > :48:22.referendum in Scotland? I think so. The SNP will be compelled to put
:48:23. > :48:29.something in their manifesto as well. By any measurement, the SNP is
:48:30. > :48:33.going to come out of this election with the most seats and biggest vote
:48:34. > :48:40.share in Scotland. The Conservatives will argue if the SNP slipped back
:48:41. > :48:46.from that high point of 56 seats and nearly 50% of the vote in 2015, then
:48:47. > :48:49.somehow that represents a shift, that it vindicates the Tory argument
:48:50. > :48:56.that there is no appetite for a second referendum. You think Nicola
:48:57. > :49:07.Sturgeon is weakened tonight? Not in the least. Most Scots will be gassed
:49:08. > :49:11.that there is a cynical power grab by Theresa May today. It's nothing
:49:12. > :49:18.to do with Brexit or resolving the dilemmas... That was an accusation
:49:19. > :49:23.levelled at the SNP when that referendum was mooted. The majority
:49:24. > :49:35.of people in Scotland want to be in Europe. The SNP have 56 MPs as
:49:36. > :49:38.opposed to a paltry 84 the Tories. What does the SNP have to hold onto
:49:39. > :49:47.to feel that it has Scotland behind it? They just have to get more than
:49:48. > :49:50.40 seats and that seems likely. The real question is how the
:49:51. > :49:55.Conservatives in Scotland measure a victory. They had a revival, a
:49:56. > :50:01.modest revival last year. They are confident it will be extended in the
:50:02. > :50:04.local government elections and in the general election. They are
:50:05. > :50:12.looking at around half a dozen seats. The sort of constituencies
:50:13. > :50:16.they picked up in last year's Scottish Parliamentary elections.
:50:17. > :50:19.The SNP by any measure will win the election but I think the Tory
:50:20. > :50:27.calculation is that they will check SNP momentum. The Tories currently
:50:28. > :50:36.have one MP north of the -- north of the border. One more would be 100%
:50:37. > :50:43.increase. Is there a worry that the SNP will go back? How could they?
:50:44. > :50:47.Labour is in disarray both sides of the border. I think this will be
:50:48. > :50:51.about Brexit. Scotland is trying to define itself differently than the
:50:52. > :51:01.society emerging south of the border. There are a lot aspects that
:51:02. > :51:06.people find objectionable. The SNP are in the process of pivoting away
:51:07. > :51:10.from rejoining the EU immediately if Scotland were to become independent
:51:11. > :51:13.and towards the European economic area. They are not being upfront
:51:14. > :51:17.about that because it has caught them unaware because they are going
:51:18. > :51:23.to have to play catch-up. They have to be clear in their manifesto about
:51:24. > :51:28.precisely what they are proposing. Would she spell out revenue or
:51:29. > :51:34.money, all the rest of it? We have had this sprung on others for one
:51:35. > :51:37.day. I am not an SNP member or key supporter. There are ample
:51:38. > :51:41.opportunities for Scotland and variations of what we could do in
:51:42. > :51:45.Europe and the one thing most Scots would agree on is that we need to be
:51:46. > :51:51.in their exploiting one or other opportunity. There is also the
:51:52. > :51:56.aspects of the rape clause in the benefits legislation that people
:51:57. > :52:00.find apparent. There is a pattern that people are finding with a
:52:01. > :52:04.winner takes all, greedy society that is inward looking down self and
:52:05. > :52:09.people don't want that year. If you thought this was going to be talk of
:52:10. > :52:14.the general election in Scotland, it has already leapfrogged the general
:52:15. > :52:17.election. We feel already at the starting point of a second
:52:18. > :52:24.referendum. It could be an incredibly long eight weeks up here.
:52:25. > :52:27.Let's finish with a panel to talk through the choices on offer -
:52:28. > :52:30.I'm joined by Paul Mason who is a Guardian columnist
:52:31. > :52:32.and Corbyn supporter, Polly Mackenzie who was special
:52:33. > :52:34.adviser to Nick Clegg, and Fraser Nelson who is
:52:35. > :52:44.Fraser, do we need this election? This is not a necessary election
:52:45. > :52:51.even though Theresa May tried to pretend otherwise. It is needed
:52:52. > :52:56.because it helps her a lot. It will consolidate her power over the party
:52:57. > :53:01.and it will help in EU negotiations but really she was facing a once in
:53:02. > :53:05.a generation opportunity to have an election against an opposition which
:53:06. > :53:11.is incredibly weak and figured it would be rude not to, really. Such
:53:12. > :53:16.an incredible opportunity here. It would have taken a big politician to
:53:17. > :53:23.resist this. She said she would but in the end it was irresistible. I
:53:24. > :53:29.think it's a measure to the extent of her original strategy on Brexit
:53:30. > :53:32.fail. I am glad we are having an election. It had to happen because
:53:33. > :53:36.she tried to use the Brexit referendum for a mandate of a kind
:53:37. > :53:42.of government which was vacuous because there is no consent to the
:53:43. > :53:47.Brexit... The content is the threat to walk away, walk off a cliff,
:53:48. > :53:50.destroy the NHS in the process. She knew she couldn't get away with
:53:51. > :53:57.that. It has been spun in the papers... The Daily Mail tomorrow is
:53:58. > :54:05.saying "Crush the saboteurs". When you say somebody with a 40% lead in
:54:06. > :54:10.the polls needing to crush saboteurs. You worry about how
:54:11. > :54:15.secure she thought she was. It had to happen. We had to have some
:54:16. > :54:20.content to Brexit. Polly, do you think this is a necessary or cynical
:54:21. > :54:25.election? It's pretty cynical but whether she is doing it from
:54:26. > :54:27.weakness or strength, it will make a stronger, it will increase her
:54:28. > :54:35.majority. It's a foregone conclusion. I think Labour will win.
:54:36. > :54:46.That is definitely what where the bookies are. If you ask people what
:54:47. > :54:50.you think about giving the Conservatives a blank check for
:54:51. > :54:57.Brexit? All the issues for Labour, the NHS and everything must be
:54:58. > :55:03.framed about preventing a socially unjust Brexit. Senior Labour people
:55:04. > :55:06.think bring it on. We have a chance to stage a political revolution
:55:07. > :55:12.against the Conservatives and I think we can do it. But the Labour
:55:13. > :55:15.Party has backed Brexit and absolutely set go ahead. If you want
:55:16. > :55:19.to stop the Conservatives having a blank cheque and a landslide,
:55:20. > :55:24.outside of Scotland, I take the point on, the only party to go for
:55:25. > :55:30.is the Lib Dems. Whether that is going to be a majority opinion or
:55:31. > :55:35.not it doesn't make any sense to switch to the Labour Party. People
:55:36. > :55:43.do want to do their best to sabotage Brexit, as the Daily Mail put it
:55:44. > :55:50.should vote for the Lib Dems if there is a chance of them beating
:55:51. > :55:54.the Conservatives. I'm in favour of organising from the grassroots some
:55:55. > :56:01.sort of progressive socially just alliance to prevent what is about to
:56:02. > :56:06.happen. Would you vote tactically? I would do in my own constituency. I
:56:07. > :56:12.would probably get drummed out of the Labour Party but I would. Which
:56:13. > :56:19.party is going to do better? Is the Lib Dem party going to rise? I think
:56:20. > :56:24.this is a great early Christmas present for the Lib Dems. They are
:56:25. > :56:33.unequivocally the Remain party. They define their own politics by Brexit
:56:34. > :56:37.remain. There is only one pro-Remain party in the market right now and
:56:38. > :56:41.that is the Lib Dems. Scotland has separate dynamics. The Lib Dems
:56:42. > :56:46.can't get any lower and they might get back some of the seats they lost
:56:47. > :56:52.to the Tories in the West Country. It is the only good news they have
:56:53. > :56:56.had for some time will stop some people feel it is Theresa May
:56:57. > :57:00.wanting to deliver a softer Brexit for which she needs a majority to
:57:01. > :57:08.see down her own Brexit is. Amber Rudd didn't allow that to night. She
:57:09. > :57:15.was saying it is true that one of the results of this will be a more
:57:16. > :57:18.possible softer Brexit so you can negotiate it past the Tory
:57:19. > :57:24.backbenchers. It is one of the many ways it will be helpful for Theresa
:57:25. > :57:38.May. Polly? It depends who is elected. Those elected could be
:57:39. > :57:44.pretty hardline Brexit supporters. If people don't want Brexit to
:57:45. > :57:47.become an economic catastrophe and smashing the welfare state and
:57:48. > :57:50.employment rights it's an opportunity for people to vote
:57:51. > :57:59.heavily to prevent the Tories from having a majority. My constituency
:58:00. > :58:07.is at Vauxhall. Kate Hoey. I will vote tactical. I'm a Labour Party
:58:08. > :58:15.member. At the moment, I'm going to vote for the Labour Party candidate.
:58:16. > :58:21.That is not the tactical vote. Kate Hoey is the exception that proves
:58:22. > :58:24.the rule. John Woodcock said earlier... The NEC can vote any
:58:25. > :58:32.Labour candidates who don't want to be part of labour. Ultimately, we in
:58:33. > :58:36.Labour have two position ourselves very much towards the section of the
:58:37. > :58:40.electric that is worried about Brexit and once social justice. We
:58:41. > :58:48.should be together finding a way to block... Poly- RU recommending Lib
:58:49. > :58:57.Dem supporters to vote tactically? Plenty of live Lib Dem voters are
:58:58. > :59:02.voting tactically all of their lives and they are not going to stop now.
:59:03. > :59:09.You would be forgiven from the pictures to think that the Prime
:59:10. > :59:14.Minister addressed a empty Downing Street this morning. That was not
:59:15. > :59:17.the case. Downing Street was groaning with people. Seven weeks to
:59:18. > :59:56.polling day, let's hope it flies by. I have just chaired a meeting of the
:59:57. > :59:57.Cabinet where we agreed that the government should call a general
:59:58. > :00:13.election. Good evening. Let's get a check on
:00:14. > :00:16.the weather for web and stay. It is looking pretty good but the cloud
:00:17. > :00:17.will be increasing through