11/05/2014 Sunday Politics East Midlands

Morning, folks. Welcome to the Sunday Politics, where we're talking

about the Europe-wide contest that really matters. No, not Eurovision.

The European elections. There are local elections across England too

on May 22nd. The party leaders are campaigning ahead of polling day.

The results could be a pointer to the Big One, May 2015. We'll be

speaking to the man in charge of Labour's election battle plan. Has

the opposition really got its sights set on all-out victory in 2015? Or

will it just be content with squeaking home? And you can't

mention elections these days without talking about the impact of this

man, Nigel Farage. I'll be asking him if UKIP really

boroughs. What will make a difference to the way you vote?

And I'm joined by three journalists guaranteed to bring a touch

And I'm joined by three journalists dress sense, it's Nick Watt, Helen

Lewis and Janan Ganesh. So you might have thought you've already heard

David Cameron promise an in-out referendum on EU membership in 2017

if he's still Prime Minister. Many times. Many, many times. Well he

obviously doesn't think you've been listening, because he's been saying

it again today. Here he is speaking to the BBC earlier. We will hold a

referendum by the end of 2017. It will be a referendum on an in-out

basis. Do we stay in a reformed European Union or do we leave? And

I've said very clearly that whatever the outcome of the next election,

and of course I want an overall the outcome of the next election,

majority and I'm hoping and believing I can win an overall

majority, believing I can win an overall

think that's unlikely because as I think that's unlikely because

there's a huge upside for that for I think what's interesting is the idea

he would for minority government. Would you get confidence and look at

other options that might well happen with the way the arithmetic is going

or is he going to hold out and say the only way I will be Prime

Minister is in a majority Conservative government? No, the

implication of his remarks was I wouldn't form a coalition government

unless my coalition partners would also agree to vote for a referendum.

He's basically talking about is negotiating strategy in those

coalition talks. It's a red line and a huge opportunity for the Lib Dems,

because they know David Cameron absolutely has to do, for accidental

reasons, as a person who survives as Tory leader, to ask for that

referendum, so they can ask anything they want in return and if I was

Nick Clegg, I would work out in the next year one absolute colossal

negotiating demand for those coalition talks. For a party around

10% in the polls, they will do have the Prime Minister over a barrel on

this one, assuming that coalition talks goes well. They could make

Michael Gove Tbyte meeting. OK, we need to move on. So, the politicians

are out and about on what used to be called the stump ahead of local and

European elections in less than two weeks' time. But, without wanting to

depress you on a damp Sunday morning, the party strategists are

already hard at work on their campaign plans for the General

Election next May. Yes, it's less than a year to go. They may have

taken their time, but Labour's battleplan for 2015 is starting to

take shape. As well as take promising to freeze your energy

bills, and reintroduce the 50p rate of tax, Ed Miliband now says he

wants to intervene in the housing market to keep rents down. There's

even talk that the party leadership wants to bring more railway lines

into public ownership. And Labour is gambling that its big push on the

cost of living will see it through to the general election despite

evidence that growth is firmly back. Labour's campaign chief Douglas

Alexander hopes it all adds up to victory next May. But so far, the

evidence is hitting home very thin. One survey today shows that 56% of

people don't think Mr Miliband is up to the job of Prime Minister. As we

head towards one of the least predictable general elections in 70

years, has Labour got a message to win seats up and down the country?

And Labour's election co-ordinator and Shadow Foreign Secretary,

Douglas Alexander, joins me now. Douglas Alexander, joins me now

Welcome to Sunday Politics. A lot of these policies announced polar

pretty well. By popular with the country. When you add them together,

it's a move to the left and what would be wrong with that? I think is

your packet suggests, the contours in the coming campaign are becoming

clear. Our judgement is the defining issue of the year in British

politics will be the widening gap between the wealth of the country

and the finances of ordinary families. We believe it will be a

cost of living election and we have been setting out our thinking in

relation to energy prices and rent, but you will hear more from Labour

Party in the coming months because we're now less than one year away

from a decisive moment. If the leftish think tank suggested any of

his policies in that Tony Blair years, you would have opposed them.

Let's be clear, when not going for an interest but seeking to secure a

majority for the only way to do that is not simply to appeal to your

base, but to the centre ground. I believe we got genuine opportunities

in the next year. You have the Conservatives in a struggle with

UKIP on the right of politics. The Lib Dems 9% of trying to find their

base, and there's a genuine opportunity in the next year for

Labour to dominate the centre ground of politics and secure the majority

Labour government we are planning for in the coming year. I notice you

didn't deny you wouldn't have opposed. You say you have got an

message for aspirational voters in the South. This is what John Denham

said. He thinks you're talking too much to your core vote.

He is right to recognise we took a terrible beating in 2010. 29%. If

you look at what we've done in the last week, for example, the

signature policy on rent Ed Miliband announced to launch the campaign,

there's now more than 9 million people in the country in the private

rented sector, more than 1 million families. Many of them are in the

south-east. They are seeing circumstances where, suddenly,

landlord will increase the rent and they put the pressure involved in

schooling, health care facing the families, so it is important both in

terms of policy and in terms of politics that we speak to the whole

country, not simply to one part of it falls up what is the average rise

in event last year? I don't know. Can you tell me? 1%. 1% not in real

terms. I'm not sure what the problem is. It will happen to wages in last

year, we are facing circumstances where people will be worse off, up

to ?1600 off worse and frankly, if our opponents want to argue that the

economy has healed and they deserve a victory lap, good luck to them

because actually, what we are hearing from the Buddhist public,

not just in the north and south, hearing from the Buddhist public,

not just in the north and south is not just in the north and south, is

not the cost living crisis is continuing and it affects families.

There was nothing aspirational about your party election broadcast for

the European elections. It looked like crude class war to money

people. That's a bit of it. Bedroom tax. Isn't it going to look bad that

two thirds of those affected are disabled? Who cares? They can't

fight back. Shall be lay-offs and NHS nurses? The National Health

Service? Oh yes. Mr Cameron? Who said that? Me. My gosh. The man has

shrunk. He's actually shrunk. What shall we do with him? Can we hunt

him? Nothing about Europe, Labour policy. News that the Tories would

result in negative campaigning and smear. You didn't tell you would be

just as bad. Let's start the party broadcast. The one thing guaranteed

to have most people reaching for the remote control these days are the

words, there now follows a party but the broadcast. I make no apology in

the factory to be innovative in how we presented. It's factual. It was a

policy -based critic of this government. And the Lib Dems role

within it. So you're claiming it's factual to betray the camera and

cabinet is not even knowing what the NHS is, -- the Cameron Cabinet. They

attack the disabled because they can't fight back. The Pinellas

Tanner severely Prime Minister Sun and he was treated during a short

life by the NHS. It's a fact many disabled people across the country

including in my constituency have been directly affected by the

bedroom tax. And ultimately, this Conservative led government,

including the Lib Dems, will be held accountable by the politicians. You

say that, the Prime Minister, who had a severely disabled son of. I

you not ashamed about? I shadowed Iain Duncan Smith of five months

also they don't have the excuses of seeing that saying nobody told them

the consequences of the bedroom tax. They went into this with their eyes

open. They knew about the hardship and difficulty. If they were

one-bedroom properties available across the country for people to

move into, their argument would be OK but they knew they were dealing

with the most vulnerable people. OK but they knew they were dealing

with the most vulnerable people Did you sign off that part of the

broadcast? Of course I stand by the fact of it. I wish David Cameron and

Iain Duncan Smith would apologise to the disabled people of the country

and the poorest people for the effects of the bedroom tax. I hope

we get that apology between now and election. As someone who thinks

integrity is important in politics, not ashamed of this kind of thing?

It's important we scrutinise the policies of this government as well

as adding a positive agenda for change. You want that you won't

promise this is the last time we'll see such a negative press campaign?

I don't think it is negative or personal to scrutinise the

government. So we'll get more of this? I'm less interested in the

background of the cabinet than their views. You call the upper-class

twits. It's for the British public to make a judgement in terms of the

British... That's how you depicted them. We are held in accountable for

the bedroom tax, the NHS, taxation, and our record they have to defend.

One reason are so fearful in this election is actually because they

know they have a poor record. Let's look at other part of the election

campaign. This poster. Particularly digitally doing the rounds. On that

shopping basket, can you tell us which items take the full 20% VAT?

It's representative of household shopping, which includes items like

cleaning products, and we know that food is not that trouble. People

don't go to the supermarket and say this is -- vatable. So you are

denying that ?450 extra is being paid? Yes, where'd you get that

figure? For an average family to pay ?450 a year extra VAT, they would

have to spend ?21,600 a year on vatable products at 20%. The average

take-home pay is only 21,009. They have got to spend on all sorts of

things which are zero VAT. So in addition to the items, has a range

of products people face in terms of VAT. How could an average family of

?21,000 a year spent 21,006 and the pound a year on 20% vatable items?

It's not an annual figure, is it? So what is it then? If it's an annual,

what is it? The increased VAT in this parliament is calculated over

the course of a Parliament. For the whole of the Parliament? And you're

illustrated this with a shopping basket which almost has no VAT on it

at all? People will be buying a weekly shop in the course of this

Parliament every week. Did you sign off on this as well? Of course. It

didn't dawn on you you're putting things on it which have no VAT? If

you want to argue some people go to the shops and say these are vatable

or not, I disagree. Even your rent cap announcement went wrong. You're

working on the rent rises and it turns out it wasn't. It was a post

your policy. It is the exception rather than the rule to have the

position we have at the moment. In Northern Ireland we have seen the

continued rise in terms of the rented sector but there is a

widespread recognition that for those people in the rented sector,

change is necessary. Are you coordinating this campaign? It seems

accident prone. This is a party that has set the agenda more effectively

than a Conservative party that said when David Cameron was elected he

wasn't going to bang on about Europe. The day after the election

we expect the Conservative party to be engulfed in crisis. I'm proud of

what we talk about and I think there is a clear contrast about a party

talking about issues people care about, and a Conservative party

talking about exclusively a referendum. Are you in charge of the

campaign? I am coordinating the campaign is, yes. The expensive

election guru you have hired, has he been involved in any of this? We

have started our discussions with him. You are going to have to brief

him about British politics because he doesn't know anything about it. I

make no apology for hiring him. He has a lot of experience in winning

tight elections and that is what we are expecting. If you are expecting

us to say, they have passed and we have to hold them accountable, then

I am sorry but we have a campaign that holds the Government and the

Conservatives to account for what I think is a very hopeless record in

government. Thank you. He leads a party with zero MPs but

his media presence is huge. He's had an expenses scandal, but the public

didn't seem to mind. He's got a privileged background but he's seen

as an anti-establishment champion. Nothing seems to stick to him, not

even eggs. I speak of course of Nigel Farage. We'll talk to him in a

moment, but first Giles has been out on the campaign trail ahead of

elections that could make or break the UKIP leader.

Nigel Farage likes a stage, and at this stage of the Euro and local

election campaign he is, like his party, in buoyant mood. They feel

they are on the verge of what they see as causing an earthquake in

British politics. Today Nigel is filling thousands seat venues and

bigger. Not that there's much sign of that at this press launch. But

it's a threat with serious money behind it, that they believe the

media and the political elite just haven't realised yet, much less

learned how to counter it. Not that it's all been plain sailing.

Offensive comments from some candidates has not only seen UKIP

labelled as racist, but necessitated a rally by the party to visibly and

verbally challenge that. The offensive idiotic statements made by

this handful of people have been lifted up and presented to the great

British public as if they represent the view of this party, which they

do not. They never have and they never will. APPLAUSE

I don't care what you call us, but from this moment on, please do not

call must trust a racist party. We are not a racist party.

The need to say that is not just about the European and local

elections even at that campaign launch it's clear UKIP's leader has

set his sights firmly on the ultimate prize. I come from the

south of England and I would not want to be seen as an opportunist

heading to the north, north Norfolk or whatever it will be. I will make

my mind up and stand in the general election for somewhere in Kent, East

Sussex, Hampshire, somewhere in my home patch. Back at UKIP HQ they are

still drilling down how the last fortnight of campaigning should go.

They aren't taking any chances, and one imagines having offices above

those of Max Clifford is a reminder how fragile built reputations can be

of the bubble bursting. They want their reputation to be built on

votes and they know anything but significant success on May 22nd and

some seats in Westminster in 2015 isn't going to be good enough. And

after that, having sold yourselves as the honest outsiders, that stance

is harder to maintain once your people are on the inside. And subtle

changes from the past are already noticeable. The ordinary man of the

people stance is still working. Characteristically outside a pub,

Nigel Farage is glad handed by a customer. Two weeks to go, let's

cause an upset. Wouldn't that be great? The only sign that such an

interaction is different now is the ever presence of bodyguards who

shadow his every move. Over lunch ahead of Question Time, a radio

appearance, and then off to Scotland, I ask him if some of those

minded to vote UKIP who see him as a man they'd be comfortable having a

drink with are the sort of people he'd be entirely comfortable sitting

down with. Every political party attracts support from across the

spectrum and there will be some magnificent people who vote for us

and some ne'er-do-wells. The one common thing about UKIP voters is

that they are often not very political. And it's that people s

army that if UKIP can get to a polling booth might just create that

earthquake they want. Nigel Farage joins me now. When you

decided not to stand at the new work by election coming said if you lost

it that the bubble would have burst. What did you mean by that? I

was asked at seven 20p -- at 7:21pm if I would stand, I have decided by

the next morning that I would not. I didn't know he was going to resign.

You claim only a handful of UKIP candidates have ever said things

that are either stupid or offensive, I'm right on that, yes? 0.1%, I'd

rather it was non-. But why have you chosen a candidate to fight this

by-election that has said many things most people would regard as

stupid or offensive? Roger is fighting this for us, someone of 70

years of age who grew up with a strong Christian Bible background,

in an age when homosexuality was imprisonable. He had a certain set

of views which he maintained for many years which he now says he

accepts the world has moved on and he is relaxed about it. The comments

about homosexuality are not from the dark ages, they are from two or

three years ago. From when he was a Conservative, yes, so will you be

asking David Cameron that question? I have never seen a single comment

from Roger that would be deemed to be offensive. Do you regard his

comments on homosexuality as offensive? When he grew up,

homosexuality was illegal in this country. But this was in 2012 but he

said that. Most people have his country. But this was in 2012 but he

still feel uncomfortable about it country. But this was in 2012 but he

understand that some people have different views. But he has changed

his views now in only two years? different views. But he has changed

his views now in only two years He his views now in only two years? He

says he is more relaxed about it. Was he your candidate? He is a

first-class campaigner who has had 30 years in industry, he served in

the European Parliament, he is a good candidate. This morning's

papers suggest you are good candidate. This morning's

Dems and the Conservatives amongst the indigenous voting.

We have not agreed a manifesto for the general election, we will do

over the course of the summer. This is in your local election. We are

having local elections in some part of the country but we are fighting a

European election. It is impossible with the British media to have an

intelligent debate on the European question. But as I say, we are also

fighting the local elections too. You have promised these tax cuts,

how much will they cost? I have met -- read the local election manifesto

and it doesn't make those promises. We do talk about local services, we

We do talk about local services we do talk about the need to keep

council tax down but we don't talk about income tax. Absolutely not. In

local election campaigning you say you would restore cuts to policing,

double prison places, restore cuts to front line NHS, spend more on

roads, how much would that cost You roads, how much would that cost? You

are obviously reading different documents to me. We are voting for

local councillors in district councils who have got little local

budgets. Every party in a manifesto puts his aspirations in it. Have you

read it? Of course I have, cover to cover, which is why I'm saying you

are misquoting it. By the way, on the bubble bursting, you told that

to Norman Smith of the BBC. 75% of British laws are now made in the

European Union. Now AstraZeneca is potentially going to be taken over

by Pfizer. The BBC is refusing to show the public that that decision

cannot be taken here but by an elected European commissioner, and

we sit and argue about what is in or not in the local election manifesto.

It is my job, but let me come on to AstraZeneca. Is it your view that a

British government should stop the takeover of AstraZeneca? It cannot.

Can we please get this clear. I sat next to Chuka Umunna the other day

at question time and he said what could and couldn't be done. He said

I am being studiously neutral, and the reason is we don't have this

power. That is what the European elections is about. Should France

have the takeover of the food company Danan? We seem to do things

to the Nth degree and nobody else does, perhaps because we have this

culture and we obey it. In your view, you don't think Pfizer should

be able to take over AstraZeneca? There is some good science within

AstraZeneca which is in danger of being asset stripped and lost.

Because it is run by a Swede and a Frenchman and most of its employees

are overseas. I understand that but there are still some good science

being produced here. What did you think of the Prime Minister saying

he would not form a government after the election unless he was able to

have a referendum in 2017? I sat here talking to you and you said to

me that David Cameron had given a cast-iron guarantee that if David

Cameron becomes Prime Minister he will have a referendum on the Lisbon

Treaty, but he didn't deliver on that. He knows that people struggle

to believe the renegotiation is worth a row of beans. He is saying

he will not form a government unless he can go forward with the

referendum. I know he is desperately trying to pretend to be Eurosceptic

whilst at the same time saying he will campaign for Britain to remain

in. In a sense, that is what this election is about. We have three

traditional parties, all of whom passionately believe in the

continued membership of the European Union and we have UKIP saying we

want trade and cooperation but there is a bigger and better world out

there. You are now travelling with I think four bodyguards, has this

affected you and your family life? I can't stand it. I've always wondered

about the place and on my own thing. Sadly we have a couple of

organisations out there headed up by senior Labour Party figures who

purport to be against fascism and extremism, who received funding from

the Department of communities, from the trade unions, who have acted in

a violent wait more than once. You are saying the Labour Party is

behind the threats? No, I said a taxpayer funded, trade union funded

and headed by senior Labour Party figures, and I'm happy for them to

come to my meetings and have an itinerant with me, but it's not so

much fun when there are banging you over the head. I is still keen to be

an MP? Yes, what UKIP will then do is target before the general

election next year for the one life be easier if you just went to the

Lords? That's the last thing I want to do. There's an awful lot to do.

Most of all, I will not rest until we are free from political union and

government from Brussels. Nigel Farage, thank you for being with us.

It's just gone 11.30am. You're watching the Sunday Politics. We say

goodbye to viewers in Scotland, who leave us now for Sunday Politics

Scotland. Coming up here in 20 minutes, our panel talks about the

big stories of the week. First big stories of the week. First

In the East Midlands, who came out top in Newark when we went to town

and gave out party political cupcakes? That's a Conservative

cake. I don't want that. That a Labour cake. I'll have that. That's

a Lib Dem cake. And that's ` UKIP cake.

And is it time to put alternative medicine on the NHS?

Do you think it should be available on the NHS? If people believe in it,

yes. Not everybody believes in it, and therefore you're asking people

to pay for it as well, as p`rt and therefore you're asking people

to pay for it as well, as part of to pay for it as well, as part of

their contributions as well. Hello, I'm Marie Ashby and ly guests

Hello, I'm Marie Ashby and my guests this week by David Tredinnick, the

Conservative MP for Bosworth, and Chris Leslie, Labour's MP for

Nottingham East and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

First, the great recession is almost First, the great recession hs almost

over ` at least according to one respected think tank. The N`tional

Institute of Economic and Social Research says the UK economx

Institute of Economic and Social Research says the UK economy is

Research says the UK economx is about to return to its pre`recession

peak. So, are there celebrations in Nottingham East? Well, I'd like to

hope that if we are in a recovery it is widely felt, and I have to say

whilst David and I, when we're down in Westminster, you can see in parts

of London if you're talking to those, bankers and others, they're

doing quite well currently, I'm afraid to say there's a lot of other

parts in the country where we are not yet seeing that recovery

parts in the country where we are not yet seeing that recoverx widely

not yet seeing that recovery widely felt, and I think the challdnge

not yet seeing that recoverx widely felt, and I think the challenge for

felt, and I think the challdnge for the Chancellor and for the Treasury

is to make sure that if we do have a recovery, it is felt by all, and

it's sustainable, that we'rd recovery, it is felt by all, and

it's sustainable, that we're not going to find ourselves with a

lopsided situation and an imbalance as well. We know for exampld

lopsided situation and an ilbalance as well. We know for example in

as well. We know for exampld in Nottingham we've still got real

problems ` 18 food banks currently, and big problems with the cost of

living. So positive signs hdre, living. So positive signs hdre,

David, but a long way to go, is what Chris is saying. Well, a stunning

Chris is saying. Well, a sttnning figure today to show that the

economy's back to where it was in 2008 before the recession. So we've

made huge progress, we've created a million new jobs in this cotntry in

the last two years. And that's an astonishing achievement. And we ve

astonishing achievement. And we've got people off benefits, we've

managed to re`stimulate the British economy, and manufacturing now is

racing ahead. We have huge car exports, a new car going abroad

every 60 minutes. `` 16 minttes every 60 minutes. `` 16 minttes

Sounds like some sort of achievement really for the Government, Chris.

Well, if you believe the gloss. I don't think you can really say

you've got people off benefits don't think you can really say

you've got people off benefhts when you've got people off benefits when

the cost of welfare has gond up the cost of welfare has gond up

We've seen more people on housing benefit, we're having to subsidise

low wages. The labour market is changing so it's about insecurity

now, so people might be abld to changing so it's about insecurity

now, so people might be abld to pick up a few hours here and there but

it's zero`hours contracts. Ht's up a few hours here and there but

it's zero`hours contracts. It's the it's zero`hours contracts. Ht's the

sense that they're having to take on multiple jobs just to make ends

meet. And I don't understand why Conservative members of Parliament,

the Lib Dems in particular, the Government, are so blinkered as to

refuse that there is a cost of living crisis still. Becausd

refuse that there is a cost of living crisis still. Because wages

living crisis still. Becausd wages have not been keeping pace with

prices. People still not fedling prices. People still not feeling

this recovery in their pockdt, prices. People still not fedling

this recovery in their pockdt, and may not for some years to come

according to analysis, David. I don't agree with that at all, and Ed

Miliband never raises the economy in Parliament now because he knows he's

lost the battle. And what about all the apprenticeships we've created?

There's a sense that we are really moving ahead now, and that hs why I

moving ahead now, and that is why I think that this will be reflected in

the forthcoming elections in favour of the Conservatives.

OK. Well, the economy is bound of the Conservatives.

OK. Well, the economy is botnd to OK. Well, the economy is bound to

play a big role in the Newark by`election, where a safe

Conservative seat is facing a full`scale assault from the UKIP.

It's a largely rural seat with a It's a largely rural seat with a

population of 72,500. `` electorate. The main population centres are

Newark itself and nearby Southwell, Newark itself and nearby Southwell,

but there are many villages scattered around the constituency

like Collingham and Sutton`on`Trent. Well, after boundary changes before

the last election it gained parts of Rushcliffe and Bassetlaw, t`king

over being in the South and Markham Moor in the North, but losing the

town of Retford. It is affluent by town of Retford. It is affluent by

East Midlands standards ` the average wage there is ?517 a week,

compared with an average for the East Midlands of ?484, although it's

just below the UK average of ?5 8. over being in the South and Markham

Moor in Well, this week we decided to set up

stall in the marketplace to watch the action and take the pulse of the

town. Our political editor John Hess found an unusual way of attracting

interviewees. With that crucial parliamentary

by`election around the corner, we have come to market to do the

cupcake challenge. Which party is likely to lick their lips in June,

and which will end up with crumbs? Giving away tasty cupcakes isn't

that easy, until at I would take the that easy, until at I would take the

UKIP one. I am sticking with Labour. And look who doesn't want to miss

out. The candidate with the blue research. The Conservative

candidate, until recently an auctioneer. What could that majority

of 16,000 end up going, going, gone? `` but could. Most people I have

spoken to after a long`term constituency MP who wants to be a

real champion for the area, somebody who will make a life here and follow

in the tradition of some of the other Nottinghamshire MPs we

in the tradition of some of the other Nottinghamshire MPs wd have

had. Our cupcake swingometer lurches to

UKIP. But this veteran MEP faced renewed

criticism over past remarks which critics claim are homophobic. What I

am concerned with is the by`election, I am not interdsted in

scraping the barrel of comments by`election, I am not interested in

scraping the barrel of commdnts that scraping the barrel of commdnts that

were made 15 years ago. The world has moved on.

Labour's candidate hopes to bite into that conservative majority. But

into that conservative majority But is UKIP a help or a hindrance? I am

going to concentrate on getting out and talking to people here who want

an alternative. The only way they concerned that clear messagd to

concerned that clear message to David Cameron is by voting for

Labour. Will the Lib Dems bloom or fade? They polled 20% in the last

fade? They polled 20% in thd last General Election. We are the

fade? They polled 20% in the last General Election. We are thd party

General Election. We are the party of Government. Add what we want to

show is the real benefits of voting Lib Dem. `` am. `` and what we want

to show. What if our cupcakes reflected local

issues. This campaign says you end issues. This campaign says xou end

up with a hot potato. Nine candidates are speaking abott

up with a hot potato. Nine candidates are speaking about local

candidates are speaking abott local issues. Listen to be dodging the

local issues they don't want to be the hot topics.

First yellow one we have got rid of today.

Why are you sticking with Labour? It just looks nice.

Our cupcakes have gone like hotcakes. If there is one ottcome,

hotcakes. If there is one outcome, it is that the Conservatives and

UKIP seemed to be neck and neck But look how many cupcakes are left

here, and maybe that is an indication that the turnout in this

by`election might not be th`t high. We are joined now by ten won,

UKIP's campaign manager in the East Midlands. You are throwing

everything at this election. `` row Paul Oakden.

This is Newark's chance to speak up for the people of Britain. There are

about `` there were about 20 of you when we were there. Yes, and those

20 people were the result of a couple of phone calls the night

couple of phone calls the nhght before. We have since then been able

to send out notable e`mail requests, make hundreds of calls. Do you think

make hundreds of calls. Do xou think we can win? Absolutely, the 16,000

we can win? Absolutely, the 16, 00 majority means nothing now. I

Conservative MP that has had to leave out of disgrace, a Lib Dem

party who are disintegrating. There are votes to be picked up, `nd

party who are disintegrating. There are votes to be picked up, and we

are votes to be picked up, `nd we are confident UKIP can do it.

Fighting talk, David. If yot vote Fighting talk, David. If you vote

conservative you will get a referendum in the next Parlhament,

referendum in the next Parliament, and that is what you have to

remember. Nigel Farage did not want to stand in this election. H wonder

why? He has got no connection to Newark, which is a sensible attitude

to take. David talks about ` to take. David talks about a

referendum. They might be offering a referendum, but the Conserv`tives

referendum, but the Conservatives are still fighting heart and soul to

remain in the U `` EU. We met a lot remain in the U `` EU. We mdt a lot

of people who are turning to UKIP. I am sure we could find many who are

turning to the Conservatives, because we are addressing the

immigration issues. We have got ourselves away from bailing out

other European countries and we still have this great trading bloc

which has enabled our econoly to which has enabled our economy to

grow. We are the ones who c`n which has enabled our econoly to

grow. We are the ones who can lead grow. We are the ones who can lead

on Europe, and UKIP is a protest vote. Chris, we are told thhs is a

vote. Chris, we are told this is a safe seat. Have Labour rid ht of?

safe seat. Have Labour rid it of? No, it is useful you are putting the

spotlight on some of these right wing candidates. People need to know

what they are standing for. Your party believes there should be

charges for people to see GPs. Maybe you could clear that one up. We are

happy for the spotlight to be on UKIP. Chris has done what the Labour

Party seem... Talking about UKIP only taking votes from the

Conservative Party which is not true. People want to know what your

policies are. People were s`ying to policies are. People were saying to

us they are concerned that the issues that added to them locally

are being sidelined. Local issues are important. We know about the

closure of the A services in Newark. Wind farms are a good

example. You have 13 new wind turbines and posed for an ex`RAF

airfield. Our candidate has led the argument nationally. But yot will

argument nationally. But you will not answer questions about what your

true agenda is. Our agenda hs to not answer questions about what your

true agenda is. Our agenda is to win true agenda is. Our agenda hs to win

a seat in Westminster. Does UKIP believe that people should pay to

see a GP? UKIP believes in common`sense policies, and our

policies are driven by what the electorate are telling us they want.

It is a straight question, though. You are talking about GPs and

charging. That is a manifesto commitment that we will look to make

before 2015. We have a manifesto being drafted at the moment. We are

the party who are suggesting that GP surgeries are open longer. Is

the party who are suggesting that GP surgeries are open longer. Hs it a

yes or a no? At the moment there is nothing confirmed. Your health

spokesman has said he believes that people should pay to see a GP. So he

is wrong? He is your health spokesman. The old parties `re

suggesting that the view of one person is the policy of an dntire

arty. I don't want to intervene, but arty. I don't want to intervene, but

the facts are if you are gohng arty. I don't want to intervene but

the facts are if you are going to make progress in making change in

Europe you have to vote conservative. UKIP hasn't got the

power to do it. We have alrdady made power to do it. We have already made

important changes will stop in this constituency we have a first`class

local candidate, and we need to see a referendum in the next Parliament

to renegotiate. UKIP cannot do that. But there was a sense that people

want a change. They feel th`t this want a change. They feel th`t this

is a time for change. Nobody else is a time for change. Nobody else

can deliver the change. We have rebuilt the economy of the TK. We

are racing ahead now, and we are the are racing ahead now, and wd are the

only ones who can bring about are racing ahead now, and we are the

only ones who can bring about change in Europe. Labour cannot do it, UKIP

cannot do it. If you want changes in Europe, if you want to power brought

back for the new K, food Conservative. I think you need

back for the new K, food Conservative. I think you nded to

Conservative. I think you need to show leadership in Europe. Going

down that more Thatcherite than Thatcher route with UKIP, would be a

big mistake. We are talking about UKIP taking votes from the

Conservatives. It is just not true. UKIP are having more success if

anything in Labour areas. Not if you're going to charge people to see

a doctor. You keep talking `bout a doctor. You keep talking `bout

that. The Lib Dems are not represented here. At least we know

where they stand in Europe, they want to remain. You have got an MEP

standing in the Newark. A safe pair of hands? `` Newark.

therapies, and David's a long time `` long`term advocate. But are they

a waste of time and money? I think the bouncer to a lot of

problems medically are out there, and you

on integrated health care. Should alter remedies be available on the

NHS? They already are, including NHS? They already are, including

homoeopathy. We desperately need an expansion of alternative medicine,

because the Chief Medical Officer has published a book saying that

antibiotic resistance is a major antibiotic resistance is a lajor

problem. But herbal remedies cannot replace virtually? They can take the

strain, they can replace sole strain, they can replace some

treatments. Treatments that have been in use for 1000 years.

Homoeopathic medicine, you can treat all kinds of minor complaints, keep

people away from dog was, and empower them. And people `` keep

them away from doctors. Jeremy Hunt asked the Chief Medical Offhcer to

asked the Chief Medical Officer to look at them is a smack somd

studies, `` some studies, and they were not seem to be inconclusive.

Chris, what do you make of ht were not seem to be inconcltsive.

Chris, what do you make of it all? Chris, what do you make of it all?

Lots of people will have thdir own Lots of people will have their own

views, and science has not xet views, and science has not yet

discovered all the potential viewers out there, but if it is taxpayers'

money it has got to be eviddnce lead. There might be a placebo

lead. There might be a placdbo effect with some of these, but it is

not good enough. I was looking at not good enough. I was looking at

studies this week that show if France were dog is who use

homoeopathic medicine can rdduce France were dog is who use

homoeopathic medicine can reduce the homoeopathic medicine can reduce the

drugs bill for the NHS by 14%. `` drugs bill for the NHS by 15%. ``

doctors. So alternative medicine increases choice, reduces cost. You

cannot just say... There is evidence, the National Insthtute for

evidence, the National Institute for clinical excellence now provides

acupuncture for lower back pain. At one time medics couldn't understand,

right, then they discovered it was to do with contaminated watdr. They

to do with contaminated water. They couldn't understand cholera. We

should turn our blind eye to the fact that there are finite

resources. Medical evidence has got to come first. It is cheap, safe and

effective. And you are a fan. I have used it

for 25 years. And you should be allowed to. But don't ask the

taxpayer to do it. We have to leave it there!

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

Midlands this week; here's John with 60 Seconds.

The Green Party has condemndd a The Green Party has condemndd a

decision by the struggling Co`op Group to sell off 15 farms as a job

lot to raise cash. One of the farms is Staunton Estate in

Leicestershire. The Greens say community groups should be given a

chance to bid. The argument over the final resting

place for Richard III broke out in the Commons this week. A Yorkshire

MP said it should be decided by public consultation. The Lehcester

public consultation. The Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth leapt to his

city's defence. And the reldvant city's defence. And the relevant

licence granted by the Ministry of Justice was very specific, that

should Richard be found, his remains should be buried in Leicester.

should be buried in Leicestdr. And finally, what do you do when

your MP boss is forced to rdsign in disgrace? Patrick Mercer's former

parliamentary assistant Ed Baker is also a talented musician. Hd's off

to America to promote his jazz to America to promote his j`zz

album, which has broken into the top 40 in the States. `` he is off to

California. Nice(!) That's the Sunday Politics here in the East

Midlands. Thanks to my guests, Chris and

David. Next week we'll be looking at the local council and Europdan

elections. Time to hand you back to Andrew Neil.

the website now. Now it is back to you, Andrew.

Welcome back, let's go straight to our panel. What did you make of Mr

Alexander's defence of the Labour party election broadcast? It is

difficult for them because they started by saying they were not

going to do negative campaigning and they have thrown that away for an

advert which is funny but crude in the class war sense. He didn't look

thrilled to be defending it. There is a page in Tony Blair's memoirs

talking about negative campaigning, and he says that anything too

extreme turns off the average voter so his line of attack on Hague was

funny jokes but... I think this failed the Blair test, it was too

vicious. If your strategy is to shore up your car vote, that advert

was genius. If your strategy is to reach out to a broader number of

voters, Middle Britain, then that advert was a complete disaster. It

looks like there is a lot of negativity and smears all round in

the next year. That definitely looks the way we are going. They will be

essentially trying to re-run by -- the American election. I am slightly

puzzled why we cannot have our own election gurus who live here and

understand the country. I should point out that the ?450 extra VAT

that was claimed in that Labour poster, both Ed Balls and the Labour

Treasury team have said that is ?450 per year. Nonsense the VAT rise, one

year. I should also point out that Nigel Farage said to Norman Smith,

the BBC is always reliable Norman Smith that if you run in Newark and

lost the bubble would burst. I should also point out that although

a number of the tax rises I mentioned on council tax, minimum

wage tax and some other things that UKIP wants to cuts, a couple of

these are in the local manifesto but several are not. They are on the

UKIP website, which is still current and dated 2014. We like to make sure

we are absolutely right. Let's talk about Nick Clegg and Michael Gove

and the latest spat. Let me show you this headline in the Observer this

morning. From both the Independent, he called him a zealot, lunatic is

of -- another word. Do we take this seriously? It hinges on this

question of what counts as an area of need in education. The Lib Dems

say an area of need is one where there are not enough school places

to meet local demand. He says it can also be a place where there are

surplus places but that is for a reason. Local places don't trust

those schools to do a good job for their kids. It surprises me because

there isn't a yawning distance between David Laws and Michael Gove.

David Laws has found himself between a rock and a hard place because I

asked -- as I understand it most Lib Dems don't like the free schools but

Mr laws was quite sympathetic to it and he is now having to this respect

it. When they asked people who are the most hated politicians in a poll

were this week, Michael Gove is off the charts, far above David Cameron

or George Osborne. This is tit-for-tat war. The Liberal

Democrats believe Michael Gove had a hand in leaking the document that

showed Nick Clegg was opposing the tougher Chris Grayling position on

knife crime. They are saying there were Cabinet ministers who never

usually attend the sub Cabinet meeting, they turned up and the

document is leaked so what we are getting is tit for tat on that. It

is inevitable but it is not good for either side of the Coalition. Voters

will look at it and say it is politics of the playground. I read

in the Mail on Sunday this morning that some Tory insiders are accusing

Lib Dems of spreading rumours about the camera in marriage. The

rebuttals of education story is that the free school meals is sucking

money away. I always thought they would work together without fuss and

yet it has been more the source of disagreement then I would have

expected a couple of years ago. Is it serious? It is serious obviously,

using that language, but is it fatal for the Coalition? I think it is a

road bump because I don't think anybody wants to dissolve the

Coalition. It is a challenge for Labour because where do they stand

on the free schools? They invented the Academy programme so it is

difficult for them to take a hands-off approach at this stage.

There was a danger for Michael Gove that he looks ideological but the

danger for the Liberal Democrats is that they are breaking the rules for

the Coalition they said that they wouldn't break which is that they

looked like opposition in government. Is Michael Gove's

position safe? Very safe. If he moves in a reshuffle that will be to

a a job. That's all for today. The Daily Politics will be back on BBC

Two at lunchtime from Tuesday onwards. I'll be back here on BBC

One at 11am next week. Remember if it's Sunday, it's the Sunday

Politics. What if the person

that killed her... I found out she'd been taking drugs.

Just let me explain. You wasn't at that party all night.

Yeah, I was. What was she even doing there?

Oi, you keep your mouth shut. She was exchanging a significant

number of texts and calls with someone in the weeks

leading up to her death. It's like we didn't

really know her at all. You never know what goes on

behind closed doors.