03/02/2013 Sunday Politics East Midlands

Here in the East Midlands: As the Government prepares to vote

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2427 seconds

on gay marriage, you're split on As the Government prepares to vote

on the issue of gay marriage, you are split on the issue. Do you

agree with same-sex marriages? No. It is their business and if they

wish to make a commitment, it is their business.

Hello, I'm Marie Ashby. Joining me this week, the Conservative MP for

Mid-Derbyshire, Pauline Latham, and Labour's man in Chesterfield, Toby

Perkins. Welcome. First, Tory hopes of fighting the

next election on re-drawn constituency boundaries were

crushed on Tuesday when Nick Clegg and his Liberal Democrat MPs

unanimously voted no. Conservative Mark Spencer was less than happy

with his coalition colleagues. Fairness, fairness. It is all we

have heard from some of our colleagues in collision. But a word

I would like to introduce his operability and whether it is

honourable to take a position and then move, frankly, to renewed

position when you see what is before you. -- introduced

From a personal perspective I am delighted I have a chance to fight

another election but we did fight with the government because I do

believe all constituencies should be the same size and I agree with

fairness. So you would have sacrificed your seat? Yes. We have

a huge number of people and a transient population. It is what we

thought this boundary was entirely non-political and unfair. We should

have seen and other eight seats but under the boundary we saw eight

fewer seats in London, so those missing people, I thought we would

get them on to the register and a whole raft of things was being done

that would mean that didn't happen. We both still Rahmat and every

member of Parliament still Brett -- we both stood on it and every

member of Parliament stood on it. It would have been very different

for those of us who had major changes.

The other big story in our patch this week, of course, was the news

that Toton Sidings has been chosen as the East Midlands Hub for the

High Speed 2 rail extension to Leeds. Pauline, is Toton the best

solution for the East Midlands? Should it have gone straight to

Derby instead of Toton? Well, the Nottingham would have complained so

Toton Sidings is very good for the East Midlands generally and it will

be brilliant for Nottingham and Derby and a lot more businesses

will be opening up in this area. It's causing a bit of a kerfuffle

at Derby City Council, with leader Paul Bayliss campaigning for Derby

to have the station there and Tory opposition leader Philip Hickson

saying the idea's absurd. Yes, and where was Paul Bayliss when the

idea was proposed? He is jumping on a bandwagon just because you wanted

to oppose the Government, and it is not really about derby. -- he

wanted. In the north of the region, the nearest we will be to the north

side of Sheffield. This is a welcome bit of infrastructure but

welcome bit of infrastructure but we need to remember it is 20 years

away and we don't want to see these huge development projects that mean

we don't get the investment we need right now, because we need to see

those services on the East Coast Main Line, which service much wider

parts of our region, continued. There is not enough capacity on the

tray in lines at the moment. They are pretty full most of the time. -

- train lines. It will open up that capacity because there will still

be trains through Derby. It is not as though the stations in

Nottingham and Derby will close. But the high-speed will go through

Toton Sidings. Plenty more to come on this story.

Next week, I'll be joined by North West Leicestershire Conservative MP

Andrew Bridgen, who will definitely have something to say about HS2,

because it's going to be running through his back garden! And the

Shadow Minister for Rail and Nottingham South MP, Lilian

Greenwood, will be here too. So if you've got a question for our

guests next week on HS2 or anything else, you can tweet us or go to our

else, you can tweet us or go to our Just a few weeks into his job, the

new Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire and Rutland

seems to have ruffled a few feathers with his military style.

Former Air Chief Marshall Sir Clive Loader has had a letter from the

County Council in which they express their disappointment at his

lack of consultation with them. Sir Clive met with councillors and

members of the Police and Crime Panel at County Hall earlier this

week to discuss his draft budget. Tim Parker is our political

reporter in Leicester. Tim, you were at the meeting. A frosty

encounter? Certainly. Some of the questions were pretty direct. A

lack of detail about the crime plan itself and how it marries into the

Budget. Thirdly, a big question about commissioning. Of course, Sir

Clive Loader has control of this budget of money for partnership

working in the community and wants to review that after six months. He

and the local government panel and independent members are saying,

hang on, because this kind of work is usually done over a 12 month

period so there is a question mark over how those groups will go

forward. Why did some councillors vote against the budget? Four city

councillors did vote against it but the concerns from the councillors

were that despite a freeze grant being introduced that will help the

police to take over from the Police Authority and health Sir Clive do

his work as he should of April, so there is a transition Grant. --

helps Sir Clive. The city mayor helps Sir Clive. The city mayor

still has concerns. By taking the freeze grant, it is worse, because

by that time we get too near 3 the situation will be significantly

worse and no plans have been presented as doubt that challenge

will be met. So what did Sir Clive Loader have

to say for himself? Both sides realise it is going to be difficult

to do. But despite what the panel has said, he will not be put off

his promises. The manifesto was based on what they wanted and

expected and it is what I am required to do by law, that is have

a connectivity between the Commission and the police agreed

plan. No beating about the bush there, then. And isn't it that

approach that's got backs up at County Hall? Yes, it is two worlds

colliding. He is saying he wants to meet his manifesto regardless of

what the panel and politicians are saying. This is exactly what people

were worried about before these PCCs were elected - that there

would be fall-outs with different parties? I don't think these are

opposing parties. It will take a while because it is a completely

different system, and where councillors are used to come --

controlling a budget they will not want to give it up. But they will

have to do so for the benefit of the people and criminals to make

sure policing is done correctly. But it is not easy, is it?

There will always be political arguments but they have to work

together for the benefit of the people. Surely we're going to see

more of this. Yes, but the Government have taken the

incredibly cowardly step of taking huge cuts but not deciding where

they will go. We have seen huge cuts to the Police Commission and

the Government can then sit back and say, it is up to you council

has to decide. -- counsellors. Paddy Tipping in Nottinghamshire

wants to increase council tax to have more police, which is what

everyone was asking for, but his County Council is saying it's going

to freeze it again. How are they going to sort that one out? They

are going to have to put some of the politics behind them for the

benefit of the people in the area and tried to sort it out. Are we

going to see more of these spats? Yes, because they used to doing

things in a very different way. Parker, thank you.

Last week, we told you that one of our Health Trusts had been judged

one of the most gay-friendly employers in the country. And this

week, MPs will have their first chance to vote on gay marriage when

the bill to legalise marriage for same-sex couples gets its second

reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday. They're both subjects

close to the heart of Ian Campbell, who's gay and is a Bassetlaw

District Councillor. He's prepared his own personal report for us.

I am here to find out why this place is one of the most gay-

friendly employers in the county. A number of East Midlands councils

made it to the top 100 on the list of employers and so did

Leicestershire Police, but this health Trust made it into the top

five. Rachel Phillips is the chair of the Forum, representing Lesbian,

Gay, bisexual and transsexuals staff. There is nothing forbidden

to talk about because we want to provide for everybody in the

community. So what is it staff can come to work feeling they can be

their holes that -- whole selves, we can provide that service for

patients in a much better way. to meet you. This is the chief

executive of the Trust. What benefits do you get your

organisation for employees by it being this way? I have got 8,800

jobs and I won my staff representing the community they are

in. I want to give choice to patients. It looks as though our

employers are getting the message about gay rights but what about

politicians? I think marriage is a fantastic institution for two

people who love each other delayed to enter into. Into a contract, so

to speak, not just with themselves but what -- with whichever God as

they believe in, and die as a Christian and a gay man want to get

married in my parish church, under God. With the person I love.

Toby, Ian makes a fair point there. Yes, he makes a very good point.

There are those on both sides of the argument and opinion polls show

the majority of those support it but those who don't feel very

strongly about it indeed. I just feel the God I believe in says we

are equal and so gay people should have the same rights to say they

want to get married. But what we are voting on this week is not

about gay people getting married in church or churches being forced to

do this or changing the school curriculum. It is simply about

whether they will be able to rule on whether his civil partnership is

worth less than a marriage and calling it a marriage. Ian's told

us he's not very happy about the Church of England being exempt. He

feels some parishes would carry out gay marriages but can't. I am sure

they would. This is obviously a very divisive issue and any body

against it Islamophobic. I want to say that in terms of Members of

Parliament, it is not true. I have not come across one member of

Parliament who is homophobic, so we're looking at it from a very

different view. I am happy for gay people, if they love each other, to

be together... And get married? I am not going to vote for this.

And what about the temples? The Muslims, the Jews? We have not

heard Dave Hughes very much. If Toby and I had an affair, he is

married and I am married, his wife and my husband could divorce us on

adultery. If I had an affair with you, my husband could not do more -

- divorce made because there can be no adultery between two women and

men. There are such anomalies. I thought Conservatives were

generally in favour of the institution of marriage? We are,

and I have had hundreds of letters. Only one homophobic letter. About

this more than any other issue since I have been in Parliament, I

have had four, though they are starting to come in now, because

the gay community is getting their act together and bombarding us in

the last day, but up till then I have had four for marriage.

course, love aside, the Government reckons gay marriage could bring as

much �14.4 million into the economy. That is not the reason for doing it.

We are not equal until we all have that right. But Pauline is right to

save his bill is not a particularly good one. What they should be doing

is saying, leave it to the church to decide. We sent Des Coleman out

onto the streets of his home town of Derby to see what you think. If

there is a wedding here this weekend it will be between a man

and a woman. Later this week, MPs debate on whether to allow same-sex

marriages. I have here in Derby to find out what you think.

Not my cup of tea. I don't believe in it.

I have got her daughter and son and if they were gay, there would be no

generation to carry on. People deserve to be happy like everybody

else. I agree with it totally. you want to get married, go for it.

It is legalised in the States. I have no a problem with that. I am a

Muslim and it is not prohibited, same-sex marriage. So I disagree.

think everybody should be allowed to get married. If the love is

there, let them get married. In the future, the traditional wedding

between a man and a woman may be a thing of the past. There of people

queuing up to go to the Court of Human Rights to overturn this

quadruple not for the churches, which is a complete anomaly, there

will be all sorts of other things. If the registrar is licensed by the

local authority for marriages in church, if they say, no, I don't

agree with same-sex marriage, that church will probably not be able to

conduct any marriages, never mind a gay marriage. So I think there are

many things which need ironing out. I cannot have a civil partnership,

I can only have her marriage. But gay couples can have both. There is

something wrong there. 's go and you can see how mixed up

-- opinions are -- we have been out and about in Derby and you can see

how mixed opinions are with people. There are those who support it but

some people feel very strongly against, and I think the idea of

religion, and I am proud to call myself a Christian, but we believe

Christianity and quality are closely linked, and the idea that

any religious institution should be forced to do what they don't want

to do is wrong. But that is not what we will be voting for. I have

a three different meetings in Chesterfield's and I am intending

in the debate on Tuesday to represent those used. They want to

make a change -- they are worried about changes to the School

Curriculum and whether they are going to be forced into it.

Time for a round-up of some of the other political stories in the East

Midlands in 60 seconds, with our Newark and Sherwood District

Council is to pay its lowest-paid staff a living wage. That's the

rate needed to avoid relying on benefits. Currently it's �7.45 an

hour. The council reckons it'll cost �24,000 a year.

Graham Allen is leading a move to give more powers to local councils,

including the ability to raise taxes. The Nottingham North MP is

chairman of the Political and Constitutional Reform Select

Committee, which has just produced a report calling for a radical

change in the relationship between central and local government. If

and have it sewn money and be able to raise its own finance if the

electors can centre local taxes. and have its own money.

10,000 Blue Badge holders in Derby could lose their free parking in

city council car parks from April next year. The council's proposed

budget includes plans to charge people on the lower rate of

disability allowance. The move would save �80,000 a year.

So Graham Allen there, wanting to give more powers to local councils.

Should they be able to raise some taxes for themselves? As long as

the people in the area consent to it, I think there is a reason to

say yes, because there is a problem with council tax. We cannot provide

the money from national government because of the mess we have been

left in, so local councils could look at that but it would have to

be with the consent of the people. Toby, what do you think? There is

the question of whether we raise more money locally because we do

that far less than other countries. But the economy is very stagnant so

we would need to have a requisite reduction in central government

spending and more money raised locally. So quite a way to go.