:01:55. > :01:58.difference. This man is 11 points ahead in one poll, he has promised
:01:59. > :02:04.an earthquake on Thursday, but what then? Our Adam has braved the
:02:05. > :02:09.campaign trail, he has been asking all
:02:10. > :02:13.In the East Midlands, it's `n election special. We're on a
:02:14. > :02:15.regional road trip to find out what our MEPs are up against, and taking
:02:16. > :02:17.a closer this week, a last look at the euro
:02:18. > :02:27.elections, and the 50th anniversary of the first elections to London's
:02:28. > :02:33.32 boroughs. I am in the studio, with those who think they have got
:02:34. > :02:40.all the big answers. Nick Watt, Helen Lewis and Janan Ganesh. So, it
:02:41. > :02:44.is the European elections for everybody on Thursday, local
:02:45. > :02:47.elections for England and a bit of Northern Ireland as well. They are
:02:48. > :02:52.the last elections before the big one, the 2015 general election. Some
:02:53. > :02:54.say that these European and local elections will not be much of a
:02:55. > :02:59.pointer to how the big one goes But pointer to how the big one goes. But
:03:00. > :03:04.that will not stop political commentators and party gurus from
:03:05. > :03:09.examining them closely. So, what is at stake? Thursday May the 22nd is
:03:10. > :03:30.local elections and European Parliament elections.
:03:31. > :03:38.These local results should be known by Friday. In the European
:03:39. > :03:43.elections, all 751 members of the European Parliament will be elected
:03:44. > :03:47.across Europe. 73 MEPs will be let it by people living in the UK. But
:03:48. > :03:51.the results will not be announced until Sunday night, after voting has
:03:52. > :03:56.closed throughout the 28 member states of the EU. Nick Watt, we are
:03:57. > :04:00.in a position where the polls this morning cannot tell us what the
:04:01. > :04:04.outcome is going to be on Thursday, and the general election is still
:04:05. > :04:08.wide open - we really are in uncharted territory? Also it is
:04:09. > :04:12.difficult to know where we are, because there is that ComRes poll
:04:13. > :04:16.which shows an 11 point lead amongst those certain to vote for UKIP, and
:04:17. > :04:22.another poll in the Sunday Times showing that it is a much more
:04:23. > :04:28.slender lead for UKIP. But we know that will they win? We do not know,
:04:29. > :04:32.but clearly they will unsettle the major parties. Fall or five months
:04:33. > :04:38.ago, we assumed that the UKIP success would create panic in the
:04:39. > :04:42.Conservative Party, but that has been factored into David Cameron's
:04:43. > :04:45.share price. The Conservative Party is remarkably relaxed at the moment,
:04:46. > :04:50.and I wonder whether this time next week, when we have the results,
:04:51. > :04:54.whether the two political leaders who will be under pressure will be
:04:55. > :04:58.Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg. Nick Clegg, because they could go down
:04:59. > :05:03.from 12 MEPs to maybe just three or four. And Ed Miliband, because, one
:05:04. > :05:06.year before a general election, he should be showing that he is a
:05:07. > :05:12.significant, potent electoral force. So, they should all be
:05:13. > :05:16.worried about UKIP, but whereas a couple of months ago, we would all
:05:17. > :05:20.have said David Cameron was the one who should be worried, now, we are
:05:21. > :05:25.saying it is Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg? And of the two, I think it is
:05:26. > :05:34.Ed Miliband who should be worried. The Lib Dems are an incredibly
:05:35. > :05:43.resilient party. He described his own party as cockroaches, and
:05:44. > :05:47.incredible resilience! I think the Lib Dems are ready to take this one,
:05:48. > :05:52.but I think Labour are really wobbly at the moment. What UKIP has done,
:05:53. > :05:56.to England, it means that England has caught up with Scotland,
:05:57. > :06:01.Northern Ireland and Wales, England now has a four party system, which
:06:02. > :06:08.makes it all the more uncertain what the outcome will be? Yes, but
:06:09. > :06:11.whether UKIP finish first or second, it will be the biggest insurgent
:06:12. > :06:16.event since the European elections began in 1979. People talk about the
:06:17. > :06:21.Greens in 1989, but I think they finished third. Were UKIP to win a
:06:22. > :06:26.national election or even finish runner-up, it would be truly
:06:27. > :06:30.historic. It is reflecting on something which is happening across
:06:31. > :06:37.Europe, pianist in Italy, Holland, France and in this country. --
:06:38. > :06:43.populist parties. And it makes first past the post look absolutely
:06:44. > :06:46.ridiculous. You could be in a situation after the next general
:06:47. > :06:50.election where Labour do not get the largest percentage of the vote but
:06:51. > :06:53.they get the largest number of seats. First past the post works
:06:54. > :07:00.fairly if there are only two parties, but when there are four...
:07:01. > :07:05.We will talk more about that. Let's speak now to Suzanne Evans of UKIP.
:07:06. > :07:08.She is at Westminster. Now, UKIP claims that there is going to be an
:07:09. > :07:13.earthquake in British politics on Thursday. Suppose there is, what
:07:14. > :07:18.does UKIP then need to do to become a more grown-up, proper party? I
:07:19. > :07:24.think UKIP has very much become a grown-up, proper party. We have been
:07:25. > :07:29.around for 20 years. What we are going to be doing after the European
:07:30. > :07:33.elections, if we do cause this earthquake, and the polls are
:07:34. > :07:36.looking like we are going to, is we will be firmly looking towards 2015,
:07:37. > :07:42.getting our general election manifesto out, to keep those votes
:07:43. > :07:44.on board from the euro elections and putting forward common-sense
:07:45. > :07:48.policies which really will bring Britain back to the people. We want
:07:49. > :07:51.to be able to hold the balance of power come the general election. If
:07:52. > :08:02.we can do that then there will be a referendum. That will be our aim.
:08:03. > :08:07.You say you are a more grown-up party, but when you look at the
:08:08. > :08:10.stream of gaffes and controversies created by your candidates and
:08:11. > :08:16.members, I will not go into them this morning, at the very least, I
:08:17. > :08:20.would suggest you are needing a more robust system of selection? You
:08:21. > :08:25.could say the same for the other three parties, who have been around
:08:26. > :08:30.for a lot longer. They have got nothing like the embarrassments you
:08:31. > :08:35.had. I am afraid they had. Just this week, since Monday, we have had 17
:08:36. > :08:38.Liberal Democrat, labour or Conservative councillors either
:08:39. > :08:42.arrested, charged or convicted on all manner of offences. In addition
:08:43. > :08:46.we have had 13 who have been involved in some kind of racist
:08:47. > :08:50.sexist or homophobic incident. I am not saying I am proud of any of
:08:51. > :08:54.that. The whole of politics probably needs to be cleaned up, but I
:08:55. > :08:56.certainly do not think we are any worse than the other parties, who
:08:57. > :09:04.have much greater resources than we do. Those other parties are even
:09:05. > :09:07.putting people in power who they know have got criminal convictions
:09:08. > :09:13.or who have previously belonged to far right, fascist parties like the
:09:14. > :09:16.BNP. Can you continue to be a one-man band? The only time any
:09:17. > :09:22.other UKIP petition makes the headlines is when they say something
:09:23. > :09:27.loony or objectionable? We have a huge amount of talent in this party.
:09:28. > :09:31.We have fantastic spokespeople across the patch, the huge amount of
:09:32. > :09:35.expertise in the party. Inevitably the media focuses on Nigel Farage,
:09:36. > :09:42.who is a fantastic, charismatic leader. But believe me, there is a
:09:43. > :09:47.huge amount of talent. When we get our MEPs into power after the
:09:48. > :09:49.European elections, we will see many more of them I think on television
:09:50. > :09:52.and radio and in the newspapers. more of them I think on television
:09:53. > :09:59.and radio and in the newspapers We are not a one-man band. Who runs
:10:00. > :10:04.your party? The party is run by Nigel Farage, our leader. But he
:10:05. > :10:10.spends all his time running between television studios and in and out of
:10:11. > :10:13.the pub! You would be amazed how much he does, and of course we have
:10:14. > :10:19.a National Executive Committee, like the other parties. So who runs it?
:10:20. > :10:23.The National Executive Committee, in conjunction with Nigel Farage, the
:10:24. > :10:27.MEPs, the spokespeople, it is a joint effort. Your Local Government
:10:28. > :10:32.Minister Stosur is, if you vote UKIP, you go on to pledge that your
:10:33. > :10:43.councillors will not toe the party line, how does that work? -- your
:10:44. > :10:46.local government manifesto says... On the main policies, they will toe
:10:47. > :10:50.the party line, because that is obviously what people will be voting
:10:51. > :10:56.for. It is no good putting forward a manifesto like the Lib Dems did on
:10:57. > :11:00.2010 and going back on it. We have put forward a lot of positive --
:11:01. > :11:02.2010 and going back on it. We have put forward a lot of positive - a
:11:03. > :11:05.lot of policies at local government level, and those we will stick to.
:11:06. > :11:09.But when it comes to individual, But when it comes to individual
:11:10. > :11:13.local issues, say, a particular development or the closure of a
:11:14. > :11:18.school, whatever, UKIP then will vote what they think is in the best
:11:19. > :11:22.interests of the people in the borough, and not according to any
:11:23. > :11:27.party whip system. This plays out really well on the doorstep, I find.
:11:28. > :11:31.People do not want their politicians to be in the pockets of their
:11:32. > :11:36.party, putting party first, ahead of the people. You want people to vote
:11:37. > :11:39.to leave the European Union in a referendum - have you published a
:11:40. > :11:45.road map as to what would then happen? Yes, there will be a road
:11:46. > :11:50.map. The Lisbon Treaty for the first time gave us that exit opportunity.
:11:51. > :11:54.Have you published a road map? I am not the legal expert on this but
:11:55. > :11:59.there are ways in which you can come out of Europe fairly quickly. There
:12:00. > :12:04.is a longer you all as well. But have you published any of that
:12:05. > :12:08.detail? Not that I have read. But certainly there are ways to do it.
:12:09. > :12:13.We are the sixth strongest world economy, I think we are in a strong
:12:14. > :12:17.position having left the EU to be able to negotiate a very good trade
:12:18. > :12:25.deal with the European Union. It is what people voted for in 1975. What
:12:26. > :12:30.would be our exact status? It would be I think what people voted for
:12:31. > :12:34.back in 1975. An independent, sovereign country in a trade
:12:35. > :12:38.agreement, a very positive and valuable trade agreement with the
:12:39. > :12:42.European Union. I voted in that referendum, I remember it well, 1975
:12:43. > :12:50.involved the free movement of people 's... That is something which I do
:12:51. > :12:55.not think UKIP or the country wants. 70% of people now are deeply
:12:56. > :13:01.concerned about immigration. So it would not be 1975, then? Andrew,
:13:02. > :13:01.concerned about immigration. So it would not be 1975, then? Andrew it
:13:02. > :13:05.would not be 1975, then? Andrew, it sounds like you are complaining that
:13:06. > :13:11.we might have something which is better than 1975. I am just trying
:13:12. > :13:15.to find out what it is! That sounds like positive to me. We will
:13:16. > :13:19.negotiate a trade deal and all manner of issues, whatever is best
:13:20. > :13:23.for the British people. We want our sovereignty back, we want our
:13:24. > :13:27.country back. Would you be upset if a bunch of Rumanian men moved in
:13:28. > :13:32.next door to you? Where I live, I am surrounded by one and two-bedroom
:13:33. > :13:37.flats. If ten Rumanian men moved in next door to me, I would want to ask
:13:38. > :13:47.questions. That is very different from say a Robinho family moving in
:13:48. > :13:51.next door. I would think, are they being ripped off, are they up to no
:13:52. > :13:55.good or are they perhaps being trafficked by a gang master? So I
:13:56. > :13:59.think it would be of concern, and I do not think there is anything wrong
:14:00. > :14:02.with that, it is a humanitarian approach. That would be different
:14:03. > :14:05.from a family moving in who were learning to speak English, who
:14:06. > :14:10.wanted to contribute to the British economy. Maybe if your boss is
:14:11. > :14:20.watching, he will now have found out how to answer that question.
:14:21. > :14:28.Now, what is more glamorous, 24 hours in the life of a
:14:29. > :14:33.counter-terrorism agent, or 12 hours in the life of Adam Fleming, on the
:14:34. > :14:39.campaign trail? I will let you make up your own mind. So, it is eight
:14:40. > :14:44.o'clock in the morning here in Westminster. Today's challenge is,
:14:45. > :14:49.how much campaigning for the local and European elections can we fit
:14:50. > :14:54.into 12 hours? See you back here at eight o'clock tonight. Wish me
:14:55. > :15:01.luck. With my cameraman and producer, we went to Thurrock in
:15:02. > :15:12.Essex first. I got a very, very warm welcome from Abe buoyant UKIP. They
:15:13. > :15:18.have never had this much attention. One candidate's misdemeanour ends up
:15:19. > :15:20.on the front page. But you have got Lib Dem candidates being convicted
:15:21. > :15:24.of racially aggravated assault, and that was not on the front pages of
:15:25. > :15:31.the newspapers. Houdini is fine but it must be applied evenly. Have you
:15:32. > :15:39.had to sack Thurrock UKIP members for dodgy tweets or anything? Oh,
:15:40. > :15:43.God, no. Next we head to meet a top Tory in a different area. We are
:15:44. > :15:49.heading to Eastbourne. But stuck in traffic. We are going to miss
:15:50. > :15:53.William Hague. We got there, just in time, to ask the really big
:15:54. > :15:58.questions. David Cameron went to Nando De Colo last week, where are
:15:59. > :16:05.you going to go for lunch? I do not even get time for lunch. I think
:16:06. > :16:10.something in the back of the car. We will go down the street and see what
:16:11. > :16:14.people have got to say. Even the Foreign Secretary has depressed the
:16:15. > :16:26.flesh at election time? Even the Foreign Secretary meets real people.
:16:27. > :16:31.The message William Hague impresses upon everyone he meets is that the
:16:32. > :16:40.Tories are the only party offering a referendum on our membership of the
:16:41. > :16:44.EU. He's off for lunch in the limo. I've got five minutes by the beach.
:16:45. > :16:52.This is the best thing about elections, lunch. Do you want one?
:16:53. > :16:55.And chips are weirdly relevant at our next stop - the Green Party
:16:56. > :16:59.battle bus which is parked in Ashford in Kent. What is special
:17:00. > :17:08.about this vehicle? It runs from chip fat oil so it is more friendly
:17:09. > :17:16.to the environment. But boss was boiling. The next stop is Gillingham
:17:17. > :17:19.to see Labour. Labour have just hired Barack Obama's election guru
:17:20. > :17:26.David Axelrod to help them craft their message. What does David
:17:27. > :17:37.Axelrod know about the people who live on the street? I know the local
:17:38. > :17:40.details but you handle those. Ed Miliband and his party have had to
:17:41. > :17:43.handle a few dodgy opinion polls lately, prompting some leadership
:17:44. > :17:52.speculation from one activist. Who is your favourite Labour politician?
:17:53. > :18:00.Ed Balls. Back in the car and we're flagging. Final stop, Southwark in
:18:01. > :18:08.south London. We are in the right place, this is Simon Hughes' Lib Dem
:18:09. > :18:14.taxi. The Lib Dems are campaigning as the party of in. But are they in
:18:15. > :18:20.trouble? Your party president said the party would be wiped out and
:18:21. > :18:28.lose its MEPs. Is that helpful? If he did say that, then no, that's not
:18:29. > :18:31.terribly helpful. And let's not forget, every London council is
:18:32. > :18:36.having elections too. I have 40 minutes to get back to the office in
:18:37. > :18:41.Westminster, which calls for something drastic, like this. After
:18:42. > :18:50.212 miles, but will be make it home for eight? We have made it, aided,
:18:51. > :19:02.12 hours of pure politics. Happy elections, everyone.
:19:03. > :19:10.Adam Fleming impersonating Jack Bauer! Natalie Bennett is in our
:19:11. > :19:14.studio, welcome back. The Greens used to be the upcoming party in
:19:15. > :19:25.Britain, now it is UKIP. What went wrong? We are in a very good place,
:19:26. > :19:30.looking towards travelling our MEPs and we could be the fourth largest
:19:31. > :19:35.group in Parliament after these elections. More and more people are
:19:36. > :19:40.recognising we are the only party calling for real change, the only
:19:41. > :19:46.party saying we have two stop making poor, disadvantaged young people
:19:47. > :19:52.over the mistakes bankers. You have made a strong pro-environment stands
:19:53. > :19:57.synonymous with the politics of the left, why have you done that? Why
:19:58. > :20:02.should an equal minded Conservative vote for you? I think one of the
:20:03. > :20:09.reasons why many Conservatives, I met them in Chester where they are
:20:10. > :20:15.stopping coalbed methane exploration, lots of Conservatives
:20:16. > :20:19.are looking to vote for us beyond issues like fracking and the Green
:20:20. > :20:24.belt, and many of them are concerned about the fact we haven't reformed
:20:25. > :20:28.the banks. This morning we had the Bank of England chief coming out and
:20:29. > :20:34.saying we have a huge house price bubble and people recognise that
:20:35. > :20:46.many of the parties offering the same are not working. And yet the
:20:47. > :20:51.polls show that the hardline greenery is not winning. We are
:20:52. > :20:56.looking to travel our number of MEPs and we have people recognising that
:20:57. > :21:00.we have to change the way our economic 's, politics and society
:21:01. > :21:03.works so that everyone has sufficient resources within the
:21:04. > :21:11.limits of the one planet because one planet is all we have got. You want
:21:12. > :21:16.all electricity to be generated by renewables, is that right? So where
:21:17. > :21:21.would the electricity come from on days when the wind is not blowing?
:21:22. > :21:28.Most of the electricity is there. It is mature. We need to be hooked into
:21:29. > :21:33.a European wide grid, we need a smart grid that will allow for
:21:34. > :21:40.demand to be adjusted according to supply. So we would take French
:21:41. > :21:48.nuclear power, would we? We need to work with a partnership across
:21:49. > :21:51.Europe. We are being left behind and we are losing opportunities. 50% of
:21:52. > :21:55.we are losing opportunities. 50 of German renewable electricity is
:21:56. > :22:06.owned by communities and it stays within communities, rather than the
:22:07. > :22:16.big six energy companies. So you have still got to take the French
:22:17. > :22:23.nuclear power. What we need to do... Nuclear is a dead technology,
:22:24. > :22:25.going down in the developed world. At the moment the Government
:22:26. > :24:38.proposes the At the moment the Government
:24:39. > :25:08.joined now by the Conservative MP, the Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes and
:25:09. > :25:12.Sajid Javid. We want to see a European Union resolutely focused on
:25:13. > :25:17.the single market, free trade, and only we can bring about that change.
:25:18. > :25:22.Labour and Lib Dems are happy with the status quo, in fact they would
:25:23. > :25:29.like more integration, and a UKIP party can not deliver the change.
:25:30. > :25:33.Hilary Benn, at this stage positions usually romp home in European
:25:34. > :25:38.elections and no party has gone on to form a government without winning
:25:39. > :25:45.the European elections first. Now it suggests you could become second,
:25:46. > :25:50.you haven't handled UKIP very well either. There is a lot of alienation
:25:51. > :25:54.from politics around, globalisation has left some behind and people are
:25:55. > :26:00.concerned about that but UKIP will not provide the answer. Nigel Farage
:26:01. > :26:04.only talks about Europe. We are to hear it would not be in the
:26:05. > :26:09.interests of British people to come out of Europe. We do want a season
:26:10. > :26:15.change in Europe, for example we want longer periods when new member
:26:16. > :26:19.states come in. We don't think child tax credits should be paid to
:26:20. > :26:26.children not living in the UK, but Nigel Farage is also proposing to
:26:27. > :26:32.charge us when we see the GP, to halve maternity pay, and he wants a
:26:33. > :26:36.flat tax. UKIP is not the answer to the problems we face and we will
:26:37. > :26:46.continue to campaign as we have done to show that we are putting forward
:26:47. > :26:51.policies on energy prices, and in the end that is what people will
:26:52. > :26:58.look for. Simon Hughes, you will be lucky to come forth. The voters
:26:59. > :27:03.decide these things. Really? I never knew that. My response to the UKIP
:27:04. > :27:09.question is that they get support because they have never been in
:27:10. > :27:14.power, they are never likely. A bit like the way you used to never get
:27:15. > :27:23.into power. I accept that, but now we are in government. The reality is
:27:24. > :27:28.that laws made in Brussels, we make together by agreement, and it is the
:27:29. > :27:37.case from the Commons figures that only seven out of 100 laws are made
:27:38. > :27:43.in Brussels. Actually they have been shown not to be the only ones. 14
:27:44. > :27:52.out of 100. If we were to come out of Europe, we would seriously
:27:53. > :27:58.disadvantage our economics and the jobs... 3 million jobs depend on the
:27:59. > :28:02.European Union. If the Conservatives comes third or even a poor second,
:28:03. > :28:07.it will show that people don't really trust your promise about
:28:08. > :28:12.European referendum. They have been there before, they don't trust you.
:28:13. > :28:17.What we have already shown, despite being in coalition with Liberal
:28:18. > :28:21.Democrats, we have shown progress on Europe, we have vetoed a European
:28:22. > :28:26.treaty when people said we wouldn't, we have cut the European
:28:27. > :28:31.budget which is something Liberal Democrats and Labour MEPs voted
:28:32. > :28:40.against, we cut it by ?8 billion. But overall we are still paying
:28:41. > :28:45.more. We have still cut it. We have taken Britain out of the bailout
:28:46. > :28:50.fund that Labour signed us up to. We are now going to take that same
:28:51. > :28:56.energy to Europe and renegotiate our relationship and let the British
:28:57. > :29:04.people decide in a referendum. Why has Ed Miliband become such a
:29:05. > :29:10.liability for your party? Even your own MPs are speaking out against
:29:11. > :29:15.him. If you look at the polls, we have been in the lead almost
:29:16. > :29:19.consistently. The voters will decide. Ed Miliband is a decent man,
:29:20. > :29:25.but what really marks him out is that he is thinking about the
:29:26. > :29:38.problems the country faces. Simon and Sajid both support the bedroom
:29:39. > :29:41.tax, we will scrap it. Ed Miliband said the energy market doesn't work
:29:42. > :29:50.for consumers, we will freeze energy prices while we change the system.
:29:51. > :29:59.So why are his ratings even lower than Nick Clegg's? They will be
:30:00. > :30:03.voted for next year in the general election, and if I were David
:30:04. > :30:09.Cameron I would ask myself this question - the economy is
:30:10. > :30:12.recovering, why is it that David Cameron and the Conservatives have
:30:13. > :30:17.been behind in the polls? Because in the end the big choice in British
:30:18. > :30:23.politics is between the two parties that say, if we sought the deficit
:30:24. > :30:27.everything is fine, and Labour who say that there are things about this
:30:28. > :30:34.country, the insecurity that has given rise for support for UKIP, and
:30:35. > :30:38.we are the ones talking about doing something about zero hours
:30:39. > :30:43.contracts. The more your leader bangs on about Europe, the worse
:30:44. > :30:53.your poll ratings get. He is out of the kilter with British people. It
:30:54. > :30:56.may not be a majority of people who think that we ought to stay in the
:30:57. > :31:01.European Union, but when you speak to people about it, people
:31:02. > :31:06.understand that we are better in them out. In the elections on
:31:07. > :31:10.Thursday, that is not about who runs Britain, that is for next year. In
:31:11. > :31:14.terms of the local councils, we have battles on the ground, like in my
:31:15. > :31:18.community, where we are trying to take it back from the Labour Party.
:31:19. > :31:25.Affordable housing has just not been delivered. We have delivered that in
:31:26. > :31:30.office and we had admitted to that. -- we are committed to that. Labour
:31:31. > :31:36.have actually demolished homes. So, people want more affordable homes.
:31:37. > :31:40.One issue which is behind people's antipathy towards immigrants is that
:31:41. > :31:43.they cannot get the affordable housing they need. We as a
:31:44. > :31:48.government have delivered more affordable housing in this
:31:49. > :31:54.Parliament -170,000 new properties earning and more, over the next
:31:55. > :32:03.three years. That does not work out that very many per year. Overall
:32:04. > :32:10.housing is a lot less than it was in 2006. Let me tell you, under the
:32:11. > :32:13.Labour government, we lost nearly half a million affordable homes.
:32:14. > :32:20.Fewer built than under Mrs Thatcher or under the coalition. What is your
:32:21. > :32:26.last ditch message to the millions of Tory voters thinking of voting
:32:27. > :32:31.UKIP on Thursday? First, what I would say is, Ed Miliband also said
:32:32. > :32:37.that we should not tackle the deficit, it was not a priority. As a
:32:38. > :32:40.result of our resolute focus, we now have the fastest growing economy in
:32:41. > :32:44.the developed world, and more people employed than ever before. I am sure
:32:45. > :32:49.you will have more chance to say that at the general election, what
:32:50. > :32:53.is the answer to my question? We need a Europe which is focused on
:32:54. > :32:57.free trade and the single market. Labour and Lib Dems are happy with
:32:58. > :33:01.the status quo, we are not. We are the only party which can bring about
:33:02. > :33:11.change, UKIP cannot bring about any change. Hilary Benn, why not have a
:33:12. > :33:15.referendum on Europe? If you think like Nigel Farage that you should
:33:16. > :33:19.get out of Europe, I do not agree with him, because Britain's future
:33:20. > :33:23.lies in Europe. My message simply would be, vote for a party which
:33:24. > :33:27.wants to tackle insecurity in the workplace, to give more security to
:33:28. > :33:34.the 9 million people who are now privately renting, build more homes.
:33:35. > :33:38.What Simon has just said about the coalition's housing record, it has
:33:39. > :33:42.been appalling, the lowest level since Stanley Baldwin was Prime
:33:43. > :33:46.Minister. With Labour, you have got a party which will freeze energy
:33:47. > :33:51.prices, more childcare, policies which directly address the problems
:33:52. > :33:55.which people face. I think the public will realise that. UKIP
:33:56. > :34:00.offers absolutely nothing at all for the future of the country. You used
:34:01. > :34:04.to be in favour of a referendum? We are in favour, we voted for one, we
:34:05. > :34:08.have legislated for one. The next time there is a change between
:34:09. > :34:14.Britain and Europe, in the relationship, there will be a
:34:15. > :34:19.referendum. We have supported that. We voted for it. You would obviously
:34:20. > :34:27.want to vote yes in any referendum. We would. But if you had one now, it
:34:28. > :34:30.would be for coming out or staying in, and you are going to wait until
:34:31. > :34:36.there is another step son shall transfer of powers to Brussels, and
:34:37. > :34:43.then say to people, either vote for this substantial transfer or vote to
:34:44. > :34:50.leave! Of course they will vote to leave! Yes, we are not natural
:34:51. > :34:55.partners with the Conservatives, but we do not want to be distracted at
:34:56. > :34:58.the moment by a referendum in the future in relation to Europe.
:34:59. > :35:06.Because what we have done is built our own economy back. That has been
:35:07. > :35:09.the priority. We do not want artificial priorities. The Tories
:35:10. > :35:14.want an artificial date plucked out of the air for their own advantage.
:35:15. > :35:17.We say, let's get on with being positive about being in Europe, and
:35:18. > :35:21.many people on the doorstep absolutely understand that.
:35:22. > :35:25.Yesterday, the Energy Minister said that he thought the party would be
:35:26. > :35:32.willing to campaign for a British withdrawal from the EU if there was
:35:33. > :35:38.not a successful negotiation, a successful repatriation, do you
:35:39. > :35:48.agree with that? First of all, I am very optimistic... I got that I am
:35:49. > :35:51.going into these negotiations with confidence but Michael Fallon is one
:35:52. > :35:56.of your ministerial colleagues, he said that if we cannot get a deal on
:35:57. > :36:01.substantial repatriation, then the party should be willing to campaign
:36:02. > :36:05.for a British withdrawal - do you agree? My view is that I am
:36:06. > :36:10.confident we will get a deal, and then we will put it to the British
:36:11. > :36:14.people. But you will have to take a line. If you do not get substantial
:36:15. > :36:17.repatriations, will you side with Michael Fallon all with the Prime
:36:18. > :36:23.Minister, who seems to want to stay in regardless? I may only have been
:36:24. > :36:26.in politics for four years, but I am not going to ask that kind of
:36:27. > :36:33.hypothetical question. Every question I ask is hypothetical, that
:36:34. > :36:36.is the fascination of the programme! I go into these negotiations with
:36:37. > :36:43.complete confidence. If you look at our track record, it suggests we
:36:44. > :36:47.will be successful. Hilary Benn, what is the difference between your
:36:48. > :36:53.attitude and that of the Lib Dems towards a referendum? We have been
:36:54. > :36:58.very clear that if it is proposed at sometime in the future, further
:36:59. > :37:01.powers would be transferred, then, we would put that to the British
:37:02. > :37:07.people in a referendum. That is the Lib Dem position. This is our
:37:08. > :37:12.position, which I am planing to you. It would be an in-out referendum. We
:37:13. > :37:18.would only agree to a transfer of powers if we thought that it was in
:37:19. > :37:20.the interest of Britain. But we believe that Britain's place remains
:37:21. > :37:28.and should remain in Europe, for economic reasons. But we also want
:37:29. > :37:34.to see some changes in our relationship with Europe, and
:37:35. > :37:41.electing Labour MEPs on Thursday will be a way of boosting that
:37:42. > :37:45.argument. In what way is everything you have just said not entirely sell
:37:46. > :37:53.my must with the Lib Dem position? I am not worried about that. --
:37:54. > :37:56.entirely synonymous. It is the dividing line between us and UKIP,
:37:57. > :38:00.because they somehow believe that Britain leaving the European Union
:38:01. > :38:05.would be good for our economy. Truth is, it would be really bad, because
:38:06. > :38:17.so many jobs depend on being part of a large market in an increasingly
:38:18. > :38:19.globalised world. I have got one more question for you on the locals.
:38:20. > :38:24.We seem to have lost our connection more question for you on the locals.
:38:25. > :38:28.with Leeds. What is the single most important reason that people should
:38:29. > :38:31.vote for you in the local election? Because taxpayers' money is just
:38:32. > :38:35.that, it does not belong to the politicians, and we can do a lot
:38:36. > :38:38.more and get more for less with taxpayers money. If you look at
:38:39. > :38:42.Conservative councils up and down the country, most of them have not
:38:43. > :38:48.been raising council tax, they have been getting more for less, and that
:38:49. > :38:51.is what people deserve. We will produce the maximum amount possible
:38:52. > :38:54.of affordable housing to meet the housing needs of Britain, instead of
:38:55. > :39:01.the richest minority having flats and houses that nobody can afford.
:39:02. > :39:08.We seem to have lost Hilary Benn. I can answer for him. I will do it -
:39:09. > :39:13.he would certainly say, vote Labour. You are watching The Sunday
:39:14. > :39:16.Politics. We say goodbye to viewers in Scotland, who now leave us for
:39:17. > :39:26.Sunday Politics Scotland. Coming In the East Midlands, it's election
:39:27. > :39:31.week and we're out on the c`mpaign week and we're out on the c`mpaign
:39:32. > :39:32.trail as the parties fight for your vote.
:39:33. > :39:35.Hello, sir. Would you like ` Hello, sir. Would you like `
:39:36. > :39:37.handful? Do you live local? I do, yes. That's a Labour candid`te. Are
:39:38. > :39:42.yes. That's a Labour candidate. Are you voting next week in the local
:39:43. > :39:46.elections? I shall be, yes. We'll be taking a close look at this
:39:47. > :39:49.week's vote for our local councils, and trying to work out how our
:39:50. > :39:52.European candidates get round such a sprawling patch.
:39:53. > :39:55.I've been out on the road to discover the vast Euro constituency
:39:56. > :40:04.that makes up the East Midl`nds Think of it as a road movie but with
:40:05. > :40:07.votes. Hello, I'm Marie Ashby and this week
:40:08. > :40:08.we have a full house, with representatives from four p`rties
:40:09. > :40:09.we have a full house, with representatives from four parties in
:40:10. > :40:10.representatives from four p`rties in the studio and we'll also be
:40:11. > :40:11.representatives from four parties in the studio and we'll also bd hearing
:40:12. > :40:13.the studio and we'll also be hearing from the Greens as we gear tp for
:40:14. > :40:13.the studio and we'll also bd hearing from the Greens as we gear up for a
:40:14. > :40:16.from the Greens as we gear tp for a vital election week. Sir Edward
:40:17. > :40:19.Garnier is the Conservative MP for Harborough, Chris Williamson is
:40:20. > :40:22.Labour's MP for Derby North. Also here ` Stuart Bray, the Lib Dem
:40:23. > :40:25.leader of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, and David Parsons,
:40:26. > :40:28.a former Tory leader of Leicestershire County Counchl and
:40:29. > :40:32.now a UKIP candidate for North West Leicestershire. Welcome to you all.
:40:33. > :40:34.Leicestershire. Welcome to xou all. So, first of all, we're going to
:40:35. > :40:36.take a look at the local elections take a look at the local elections
:40:37. > :40:38.in our patch. In three of otr take a look at the local eldctions
:40:39. > :40:42.in our patch. In three of otr local authorities, a third of the council
:40:43. > :40:43.is up for election ` at Derby City Council and Bassetlaw in
:40:44. > :40:44.Nottinghamshire, but most eyes Council and Bassetlaw in
:40:45. > :40:44.Nottinghamshire, but most exes will Nottinghamshire, but most exes will
:40:45. > :40:48.be on the voting in a council that's be on the voting in a counchl that's
:40:49. > :40:52.also a vital Parliamentary larginal. Helen McCulloch reports from Amber
:40:53. > :40:54.Valley. Hello, sir. Would you like a
:40:55. > :40:57.Hello, sir. Would you like ` handful? Do you live local? I do,
:40:58. > :40:59.yes. Well, that's a Labour candidate. Are you voting next
:41:00. > :40:59.yes. Well, that's a Labour candidate. Are you voting ndxt week
:41:00. > :41:04.candidate. Are you voting next week in the local elections? I shall be,
:41:05. > :41:06.yes. I'd like to think you can support us. Will you be voting
:41:07. > :41:08.yes. I'd like to think you can support us. Will you be vothng the
:41:09. > :41:10.next week? Not Labour, no. Fair enough. Last`minute leaflethng
:41:11. > :41:14.next week? Not Labour, no. Fair enough. Last`minute leafleting in
:41:15. > :41:17.Ripley. Despite a majority of just three, the Conservative leader is
:41:18. > :41:22.ready for the fight. Thanks very much. Thank you. We have coped very
:41:23. > :41:24.well with all the cuts that have been passed up from Westminster. We
:41:25. > :41:28.have a council which is verx have a council which is very
:41:29. > :41:29.efficient, very effective. We have had to make some changes, cuts and
:41:30. > :41:34.had to make some changes, ctts and costs, but at the end of the day the
:41:35. > :41:38.front line services have not been reduced at all. In fact, they
:41:39. > :41:39.front line services have not been reduced at all. In fact, thdy have
:41:40. > :41:41.been improved. The key issues, reduced at all. In fact, they have
:41:42. > :41:44.been improved. The key issuds, the main issues are around housing,
:41:45. > :41:46.cleanliness of the streets, regeneration of the town centres. I
:41:47. > :41:48.think the council at the moment regeneration of the town centres. I
:41:49. > :41:52.think the council at the molent just think the council at the molent just
:41:53. > :41:56.seem to lack a direction. There are 16 seats up for grabs across Amber
:41:57. > :41:57.Valley. The council has been held by Conservatives for the past 04
:41:58. > :42:00.Valley. The council has been held by Conservatives for the past 14 years.
:42:01. > :42:05.This is by no means a two`horse race. UKIP is out in force, fielding
:42:06. > :42:07.candidates in every ward. The reality is the Conservatives have to
:42:08. > :42:08.look to UKIP. UKIP will take reality is the Conservatives have to
:42:09. > :42:12.look to UKIP. UKIP will takd some look to UKIP. UKIP will takd some
:42:13. > :42:15.votes off them. It depends on local issues. Labour tend to suffer
:42:16. > :42:16.votes off them. It depends on local issues. Labour tend to suffdr more
:42:17. > :42:18.issues. Labour tend to suffer more at the hands of the BNP. Whdther it
:42:19. > :42:21.at the hands of the BNP. Whether it is going to be Conservative or
:42:22. > :42:26.Labour doing very well, it depends again on local issues. It is all
:42:27. > :42:30.about the local matters as far as we are concerned. I think the TKIP vote
:42:31. > :42:32.will do more damage to the Conservatives although it does
:42:33. > :42:34.actually have an impact on the Labour vote. But you just h`ve to
:42:35. > :42:38.Labour vote. But you just have to look at what their policies are A
:42:39. > :42:41.party that wants to come out of Europe ` what credible policies have
:42:42. > :42:42.they for local government and dealing with community issuds like
:42:43. > :42:45.dog dirt, messy streets? They dealing with community issues like
:42:46. > :42:49.dog dirt, messy streets? Thdy don't have policies on that. How worried
:42:50. > :42:55.are you about the UKIP factor? I'm not worried. I'm concerned. Because
:42:56. > :42:56.it will dilute the vote. And it will dilute the vote for everyone,
:42:57. > :43:03.dilute the vote for everyond, actually.
:43:04. > :43:06.Diluting the vote for everyone, David? Hardly. If you look `t
:43:07. > :43:08.Diluting the vote for everyone, David? Hardly. If you look at our
:43:09. > :43:11.poll ratings nationally, in the Euro elections and in other elections, we
:43:12. > :43:15.are actually heading those polls in some instances. So all people can do
:43:16. > :43:19.in a local election is to stand for what they believe. UKIP candidates
:43:20. > :43:20.will do that. We have 150 councillors nationwide and we expect
:43:21. > :43:25.to get quite a few more. Edward, to get quite a few more. Edward,
:43:26. > :43:28.everyone is expecting UKIP, in reality, to take some Conservative
:43:29. > :43:33.votes. Will that let Labour through the door? Who knows? We will find
:43:34. > :43:37.out. Over 50% of the BNP now support UKIP so they have an interesting
:43:38. > :43:43.collection of people who want to support them. It is up to the public
:43:44. > :43:45.how they want to vote. I suggest it is a mistake to vote for UKIP,
:43:46. > :43:48.how they want to vote. I suggest it is a mistake to vote for UKHP, more
:43:49. > :43:51.than a mistake. It is a pitx because it will let in Labour candidates in
:43:52. > :43:52.where there are sitting Conservatives, which will lead
:43:53. > :43:52.where there are sitting Conservatives, which will ldad to
:43:53. > :43:53.Conservatives, which will lead to precisely the object that m`ny
:43:54. > :43:54.Conservatives, which will ldad to precisely the object that many UKIP
:43:55. > :43:58.supporters don't want to sed. supporters don't want to sed.
:43:59. > :44:01.Talking of the UKIP threat, David Cameron has ordered Tory MPs to
:44:02. > :44:08.visit Newark at least three times during the by`election to stop that
:44:09. > :44:09.UKIP advance. Have you been? I went there yesterday, Saturday, `nd
:44:10. > :44:11.UKIP advance. Have you been? I went there yesterday, Saturday, and I
:44:12. > :44:16.shall be going there tomorrow, on Monday. Chris, shouldn't Labour be
:44:17. > :44:17.way ahead in the polls right now? I think we are doing pretty wdll,
:44:18. > :44:19.actually. We are not complacent. think we are doing pretty well,
:44:20. > :44:20.actually. We are not complacent We actually. We are not complacent. We
:44:21. > :44:24.will fight for every possible vote. I think we are in uncharted
:44:25. > :44:29.territory at the moment. Thd advent of the UKIP reminds me a little bit
:44:30. > :44:32.of the early 1980s when the SDP came on the scene and you saw re`l
:44:33. > :44:38.turmoil in the polls. All three parties, as it was then, were neck
:44:39. > :44:42.and neck. The difference thhs time, of course, is that the centre`left
:44:43. > :44:45.vote tended to be more split. I think this time it is the
:44:46. > :44:49.centre`right vote. We are not being complacent. I think we have a very
:44:50. > :44:52.exciting offer. We will be campaigning for people to vote on a
:44:53. > :44:54.very positive prospectus whhch Labour will put forward. Stuart,
:44:55. > :44:58.Labour will put forward. Sttart everyone seems to be writing off the
:44:59. > :45:03.Lib Dems' opportunities. Wh`t about you? Absolutely not. We always hear
:45:04. > :45:05.people writing off Lib Dem chances and I have defended my council since
:45:06. > :45:09.the Coalition, my County Cotncil the Coalition, my County Council
:45:10. > :45:12.seat. We are still winning elections. We have a full slate of
:45:13. > :47:04.candidates across Amber he says. But I just go back. People
:47:05. > :47:06.are in the mood to not support the old parties. I am absolutelx
:47:07. > :47:10.are in the mood to not support the old parties. I am absolutely amazed
:47:11. > :47:13.at the number of people, as I say. I was in Newark yesterday and in
:47:14. > :47:18.Bingham. Everyone is going to Newark. And Bingham. And thd number
:47:19. > :47:20.of people who came up and said Newark. And Bingham. And the number
:47:21. > :47:22.of people who came up and s`id they of people who came up and said they
:47:23. > :47:27.were fed up with the old politics and liked what we are saying. We are
:47:28. > :47:28.allowing them to discuss the and liked what we are saying. We are
:47:29. > :47:32.allowing them to discuss thd issues. allowing them to discuss the issues.
:47:33. > :47:39.I had a smile when he talked about them being the antiestablishment
:47:40. > :47:42.party. The truth of it is that their leader has been a professional
:47:43. > :47:46.politician for the last 15 years. Their policies represent thd very
:47:47. > :47:49.worst of the old politics when you actually look at what they really
:47:50. > :47:53.stand for. They are turbo`charged Tories. Thatcherite Tories. They
:47:54. > :47:55.want to have a flat rate tax, which would mean a big reduction in
:47:56. > :47:55.want to have a flat rate tax, which would mean a big reduction hn taxes
:47:56. > :48:01.would mean a big reduction in taxes for millionaires. Even more than
:48:02. > :48:02.this lot did with the reduction .. You're quite enjoying sitting in
:48:03. > :48:05.that position, aren't you? Actually, that position, aren't you? @ctually,
:48:06. > :48:07.it would mean ordinary workhng people, who they claim to appeal to,
:48:08. > :48:12.would actually pay more. They would would actually pay more. Thdy would
:48:13. > :48:17.be quite content with privatisation of the NHS. They want to take away
:48:18. > :48:20.workers' rights, maternity rights. When people actually understand what
:48:21. > :48:22.UKIP stand for, people that associate with the left of centre
:48:23. > :48:25.and the Labour Party and are and the Labour Party and ard
:48:26. > :48:32.thinking about voting UKIP, when they realise what UKIP really stand
:48:33. > :48:33.for... Are you going to let him carry on like this? Describing
:48:34. > :48:33.for... Are you going to let him carry on like this? Describhng you
:48:34. > :48:38.carry on like this? Describing you as turbo Tories? I have news for
:48:39. > :48:40.Chris. Lots of Labour supporters are coming up to us in the stredt
:48:41. > :48:42.Chris. Lots of Labour supporters are coming up to us in the street and
:48:43. > :48:44.saying they are not going to vote Labour any more. But you want to
:48:45. > :48:46.privatise the NHS. Tell them you privatise the NHS. Tell thel you
:48:47. > :48:47.want to increase their tax rate. privatise the NHS. Tell them you
:48:48. > :48:50.want to increase their tax rate And want to increase their tax rate. And
:48:51. > :48:55.take away their workers' rights What I am in favour of is a good NHS
:48:56. > :49:00.where it is publicly provided or privately provided, as you have done
:49:01. > :49:05.when you were in office. Let's have a good NHS for the patients. You're
:49:06. > :49:09.not being honest. The questhon not being honest. The question
:49:10. > :49:13.people need to ask themselvds before the European elections is which is
:49:14. > :49:16.the party which will give the people a referendum on the in/out puestion?
:49:17. > :49:20.a referendum on the in/out question? It is only the Conservatives that
:49:21. > :49:24.can do that. They can do a lot of talking. They don't want ond, they
:49:25. > :49:25.don't want one, they can't do it. I recognise the benefits of being in
:49:26. > :49:27.recognise the benefits of bding in the European Union. Well, let's
:49:28. > :49:27.recognise the benefits of being in the European Union. Well, ldt's get
:49:28. > :49:31.the European Union. Well, let's get a referendum. I've got nothhng to
:49:32. > :49:35.fear from a referendum. I think when the arguments are out there, I am
:49:36. > :49:39.certain, as the British people did 40`odd years ago, they voted to
:49:40. > :49:42.remain in the European Union. When you look at the East Midlands, for
:49:43. > :49:47.example, the biggest inward investment that Western Europe has
:49:48. > :49:59.ever seen is Toyota. They only came here because of our membership of
:50:00. > :50:03.the EU. They promised one before and they haven't delivered. Why should
:50:04. > :50:06.we believe the Conservatives on their referendum now? The thing
:50:07. > :50:08.people are interested in is the cost of living, being able to pay their
:50:09. > :50:10.of living, being able to pax their mortgage, how much wages are they
:50:11. > :50:17.mortgage, how much wages ard they taking home each week? HMRC
:50:18. > :50:19.figures, last week, came out. They will no doubt say what a great job
:50:20. > :50:21.will no doubt say what a grdat job they are doing repairing the economy
:50:22. > :50:23.and getting growth back. Thd they are doing repairing thd economy
:50:24. > :50:28.and getting growth back. The reality and getting growth back. The reality
:50:29. > :50:34.is... It is only 300,000, the top 300,000 wealthiest people in the
:50:35. > :50:37.country who have seen an increase. 27 million taxpayers in this period
:50:38. > :50:41.of growth have seen a reduction in their... We will carry this on in a
:50:42. > :50:47.minute. You can get more information on who is standing in each wards by
:50:48. > :50:50.going to each council's website Let's move onto the other election
:50:51. > :50:55.that's taking place on Thursday for the European Parliament. Despite the
:50:56. > :50:58.fierce rows that Europe evokes, it's not a campaign that seems to have
:50:59. > :51:00.caught the public imagination. But could that be because the East
:51:01. > :51:02.could that be because the E`st Midlands is so big the parties find
:51:03. > :51:04.Midlands is so big the parthes find it hard to connect with voters?
:51:05. > :51:05.Midlands is so big the parties find it hard to connect with votdrs? Our
:51:06. > :51:06.it hard to connect with voters? Our political editor, John Hess, has
:51:07. > :51:09.been on an East Midlands ro`d political editor, John Hess, has
:51:10. > :51:11.been on an East Midlands ro`d trip. This is a car journey with a
:51:12. > :51:16.This is a car journey with ` difference. I am setting off to find
:51:17. > :51:19.out how big the East Midlands Euro constituency actually is and whether
:51:20. > :51:22.that is a factor for the low voter interest. First stop, Nottingham,
:51:23. > :51:26.and an expert on how the political wind is blowing. Generally, I think
:51:27. > :51:28.the European Union and the Europe the European Union and the Europe
:51:29. > :51:31.project has failed to reallx make project has failed to really make
:51:32. > :51:34.the case to voters, particularly in Britain, who have long been more
:51:35. > :51:41.Eurosceptic, as to why thesd elections really matter. Voters
:51:42. > :51:43.struggle to name their MEPs. And they struggle to understand how the
:51:44. > :51:47.system of proportional representation works, because we
:51:48. > :51:53.have a different system in Britain. Back on the road. Destination,
:51:54. > :51:55.north. This is the town of Glossop. Just over the hill a few miles away
:51:56. > :52:00.is Manchester City centre. Xet the is Manchester City centre. Xet the
:52:01. > :52:01.people here, despite the proximity to Greater Manchester, will be
:52:02. > :52:05.voting for their five East Lidlands voting for their five East Lidlands
:52:06. > :52:11.MEPs and that is because we are on the very north`western edge of
:52:12. > :52:12.Derbyshire. The East Midlands Euro constituency covers five counties
:52:13. > :52:15.constituency covers five cotnties and includes 3.2 million voters.
:52:16. > :52:17.and includes 3.2 million voters That is a lot of votes to count.
:52:18. > :52:21.That is a lot of votes to count Probably 10`15,000 staff, 3000
:52:22. > :52:24.polling stations. Bringing that together, coordinating it and coming
:52:25. > :52:32.to some sensible result that everyone has confidence in hs quite
:52:33. > :52:36.an operation. From Derbyshire's high peak, I am heading east to the Fens.
:52:37. > :52:37.I've arrived in Boston in Lincolnshire and it has takdn
:52:38. > :52:37.I've arrived in Boston in Lincolnshire and it has taken me
:52:38. > :52:38.I've arrived in Boston in Lincolnshire and it has takdn me 2.5
:52:39. > :52:39.hours to drive here and made Lincolnshire and it has taken me 2.5
:52:40. > :52:42.hours to drive here and madd me hours to drive here and made me
:52:43. > :52:45.realise how difficult it is for the parties and their candidates in this
:52:46. > :52:50.election to get around such a vast regional constituency.
:52:51. > :52:57.Have you had all the leaflets of the parties? We have had some. Two so
:52:58. > :53:01.far. That's about it. I think we had got more leaflets it would be easier
:53:02. > :53:07.for me to get the information and to decide. No, I've only had one. Who's
:53:08. > :53:11.that from? UKIP. And he's not getting my vote. Voters oftdn use
:53:12. > :53:14.getting my vote. Voters often use European elections as a way of
:53:15. > :53:17.kicking incumbent governments in the mouth. It is often seen as ` form of
:53:18. > :53:18.mouth. It is often seen as a form of elections that encourage a protest
:53:19. > :53:21.vote. Likely because voters don't vote. Likely because voters don't
:53:22. > :53:30.treat them as important as general elections. Back on the road and I've
:53:31. > :53:33.already clocked up 250 miles. This is where our journey across the Euro
:53:34. > :53:37.constituency of the East Midlands ends, at the Kettering Conference
:53:38. > :53:40.Centre in Northamptonshire. The count will be held inside the
:53:41. > :53:44.centre's sports hall, three days after we have voted. Why the delay?
:53:45. > :53:47.after we have voted. Why thd delay? No votes can be counted in any
:53:48. > :53:54.election whilst anyone can still be voting. You can't announce results
:53:55. > :53:56.while the voting is still going on. The voting will still be going on in
:53:57. > :54:00.Italy up to ten o'clock UK time By Italy up to ten o'clock UK time. By
:54:01. > :54:04.next Sunday evening, after the rest of Europe has voted, we will find
:54:05. > :54:10.out the five MEPs who will represent us in the European Parliament.
:54:11. > :54:15.John clocked up 320 miles on that road trip! Isn't campaigning in this
:54:16. > :54:20.election mission impossible for local candidates? By the European
:54:21. > :54:23.constituency, yes. This is ` local candidates? By the European
:54:24. > :54:27.constituency, yes. This is a vast geographical area with 3.2 lillion
:54:28. > :54:30.people in it. It is not easx. Personally, I would prefer to go
:54:31. > :54:33.back to the one member, one constituency system we used to have
:54:34. > :54:39.20 years ago. That seems to have gone. I would also like to get rid
:54:40. > :54:41.of the PR system but, again, the European rules suggest otherwise. It
:54:42. > :54:47.is a vast area. Is it too bhg? It is a vast area. Is it too big? It
:54:48. > :54:51.is, in my view. This is the third Euro election I have been in for the
:54:52. > :54:55.Liberal Democrats. It is 1.8 million houses. Trying to get a campaign
:54:56. > :54:58.across that area is just... It is very tricky. We have to do what we
:54:59. > :55:00.can. We have the advantage in very tricky. We have to do what we
:55:01. > :55:02.can. We have the advantage hn this can. We have the advantage in this
:55:03. > :55:05.election of Royal Mail election address, which major parties use to
:55:06. > :55:11.make sure they get the message out. But it is difficult. What you need
:55:12. > :55:16.is to get the message to voters and they need to get one back to you.
:55:17. > :55:20.The one thing coming over to us is that we cannot control our borders
:55:21. > :55:23.and immigration. Whenever I go and campaign in this massive
:55:24. > :55:24.constituency, which I agree is too big, those messages come over
:55:25. > :55:26.constituency, which I agree is too big, those messages come ovdr and
:55:27. > :55:33.politicians ignore them at their peril. The people missing out here
:55:34. > :55:36.are the voters because they don t are the voters because they don't
:55:37. > :55:38.get to see their European candidates. How can they know what
:55:39. > :55:44.they're voting for what thex stand they're voting for what thex stand
:55:45. > :55:48.for? I agree with Edward in relation to the size of the constituency. And
:55:49. > :55:53.to the size of the constitudncy And unhappiness with proportional
:55:54. > :55:55.representation. I think going back to the single member, singld
:55:56. > :55:58.constituency would be something people can understand more easily.
:55:59. > :56:02.people can understand more dasily. But are you just saving your pennies
:56:03. > :56:04.for next year and don't want to blow the budget on these elections? The
:56:05. > :56:05.Labour candidates have cert`inly Labour candidates have certainly
:56:06. > :56:11.been pretty visible. They h`ve got been pretty visible. They h`ve got
:56:12. > :56:13.round a lot of areas in Derby. They have the advantage in Derby as well
:56:14. > :56:15.of having local elections, `nd have the advantage in Derby as well
:56:16. > :56:20.of having local elections, `nd in some other areas. That helps to
:56:21. > :56:22.garner the troops and get local activists out getting the message
:56:23. > :56:27.garner the troops and get local activists out getting the mdssage to
:56:28. > :56:30.the local electorate. But it is definitely a major challenge.
:56:31. > :56:32.the local electorate. But it is definitely a major challengd. Even
:56:33. > :56:40.in the old days when we had the whole of Derbyshire and part of
:56:41. > :56:43.Nottinghamshire. That was also a major challenge. The Lib Dems
:56:44. > :56:43.Nottinghamshire. That was also a major challenge. The Lib Dels are
:56:44. > :56:47.major challenge. The Lib Dems are targeting the Polish vote. We are
:56:48. > :56:49.targeting every vote. There is clearly a section of the colmunity
:56:50. > :56:53.clearly a section of the community which is pro`European. One of our
:56:54. > :56:56.messages is about jobs and the future of jobs by being in Durope.
:56:57. > :56:58.We also have a message about the record of our MEP, the longdst
:56:59. > :57:02.record of our MEP, the longest serving and most experienced one in
:57:03. > :57:09.the whole of Europe. He also has the best voting record of any MDPs in
:57:10. > :57:14.the region. We are taking that message positively to as many people
:57:15. > :57:20.as we can. David? As I say, it is a huge challenge to get to these
:57:21. > :57:21.people. It is all about the message. Actually, our candidates have been
:57:22. > :57:27.getting all the way over thhs getting all the way over thhs
:57:28. > :57:33.massive constituency. They `re being told immigration is the number one
:57:34. > :57:36.issue. And we really do need to tackle our borders. They have been
:57:37. > :57:44.left porous by the Coalition Government. This is one thing which
:57:45. > :57:47.we have really got to take on. He's a one`trick pony that can only talk
:57:48. > :57:52.about immigration. He can't talk about positive aspects are the
:57:53. > :58:03.benefits of... I recall he said how marvellous the coalition was. I
:58:04. > :58:07.never said that. As you well know. We have heard from all of you in the
:58:08. > :58:09.studio at the moment. But the Green Party is hoping to make headway in
:58:10. > :58:12.the European elections. Herd's what the European elections. Here's what
:58:13. > :58:15.East Midlands Green Tony Clarke makes of their prospects.
:58:16. > :58:20.The Greens are now polling `nd as our vote grows, the Lib Dem vote
:58:21. > :58:25.shrinks. I think also UKIP stole the lead because they were shouting. But
:58:26. > :58:27.lead because they were shouting But once you get behind the shouting,
:58:28. > :58:30.once you get behind the shotting, you realise they are pretty nasty.
:58:31. > :58:34.They want to privatise the NHS and take maternity leave away and all
:58:35. > :58:36.those issues. Those looking for an alternative from the tradithonal
:58:37. > :58:42.parties want something more positive that can be delivered. We are
:58:43. > :58:45.gaining votes from both ends of the spectrum. From Lib Dems who can t
:58:46. > :58:47.gaining votes from both ends of the spectrum. From Lib Dems who can't be
:58:48. > :58:49.trusted anymore but also from those who went to UKIP for an alternative
:58:50. > :58:54.who went to UKIP for an altdrnative but didn't like what they found.
:58:55. > :58:57.The Greens have clearly got you in their sights and some polls have
:58:58. > :59:01.them neck and neck. I don't believe it, to be honest. Chris mentioned
:59:02. > :59:05.local elections in Derby. I helped in the last ones. The Greens had
:59:06. > :59:08.candidates standing in quitd a lot of wards and they have none this
:59:09. > :59:12.time. They have hardly any councillors in the region at all. I
:59:13. > :59:15.do not think they are threat in this election. Could they pick up protest
:59:16. > :59:19.votes like UKIP, people who perhaps don't want to vote for them will
:59:20. > :59:21.turn to the Greens instead? They might do. Obviously with
:59:22. > :59:24.proportional representation it plays to the advantage of smaller parties
:59:25. > :59:26.like the Greens. My message to anybody concerned about the
:59:27. > :59:26.environment and sustainabilhty anybody concerned about the
:59:27. > :59:27.environment and sustainability is anybody concerned about the
:59:28. > :59:29.environment and sustainability is to vote for Labour because thex are
:59:30. > :59:29.environment and sustainabilhty is to vote for Labour because they are the
:59:30. > :59:32.vote for Labour because thex are the party which introduced the Climate
:59:33. > :59:34.Change Act and they are the party of the green movement which can
:59:35. > :59:44.actually deliver positive bdnefits actually deliver positive benefits
:59:45. > :59:47.on the environment. I would hope that anybody thinking of dallying
:59:48. > :59:48.with the Greens will actually look at Labour's programme and recognise
:59:49. > :59:56.at Labour's programme and rdcognise the should cast their vote for us.
:59:57. > :59:57.Edward. We have the advantage in Leicestershire that our teal
:59:58. > :59:57.Edward. We have the advantage in Leicestershire that our team can
:59:58. > :59:58.Leicestershire that our teal can concentrate on the European
:59:59. > :59:59.elections, not distracted by concentrate on the European
:00:00. > :00:01.elections, not distracted bx no elections, not distracted by no
:00:02. > :00:08.doubt very important local elections in other parts of the region. But we
:00:09. > :00:10.have a good story to tell on immigration, law and order, criminal
:00:11. > :00:12.justice, foreign affairs. Wd immigration, law and order, criminal
:00:13. > :00:13.justice, foreign affairs. We have immigration, law and order, criminal
:00:14. > :00:15.justice, foreign affairs. Wd have a justice, foreign affairs. We have a
:00:16. > :00:20.strong team led by Emma McClarkin. Stuart, you will be hoping to cling
:00:21. > :00:22.on. Five years ago, people were saying that Bill Newton Dunn would
:00:23. > :00:25.lose his seat because of the lose his seat because of the
:00:26. > :00:29.enlargement. He won and I expect his positive message and campaign to win
:00:30. > :00:32.again. Full details on all the candidates standing are on the BBC
:00:33. > :00:38.website. Just go to bbc.co.uk/vote2014. Time for a
:00:39. > :00:41.round`up of some of the othdr round`up of some of the othdr
:00:42. > :00:42.political stories in the East Midlands this week ` here's John
:00:43. > :00:49.with 60 seconds. Some of our council`owned tourist
:00:50. > :00:55.attractions could find themselves in new hands as Nottinghamshire County
:00:56. > :00:56.Council grapples with budget cuts. Labour leader Alan Rhodes s`id
:00:57. > :00:59.Labour leader Alan Rhodes said handing over the Holme Pierrepont
:01:00. > :01:05.Watersports Centre to a trust had been a success. Sherwood Forest
:01:06. > :01:07.Visitor Centre could be next. Protesters in Leicester are
:01:08. > :01:11.celebrating a partial victory to stop Tesco opening a store hn
:01:12. > :01:13.Clarendon Park. The supermarket need permission to make alterations to
:01:14. > :01:17.the former Barclays Bank buhlding on the former Barclays Bank buhlding on
:01:18. > :01:19.Queens Road. The Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan is
:01:20. > :01:22.pointing out a tip to constituents pointing out a tip to constituents
:01:23. > :01:27.that could save them ?140 on their energy bills this winter. She is
:01:28. > :01:31.urging them to sign up to a British Gas Warm Home scheme.
:01:32. > :01:34.More police stations will close to save ?12.7 million under pl`ns being
:01:35. > :01:40.considered by Nottinghamshire's Police Commissioner Paddy Thpping.
:01:41. > :01:50.Labour MPs Graham Allen and Chris Leslie have voiced concerns,
:01:51. > :01:53.claiming Government austerity cuts. `` blaming.
:01:54. > :01:55.Polling begins at 7am on Thtrsday and next Sunday we'll have all
:01:56. > :01:57.Polling begins at 7am on Thursday and next Sunday we'll have `ll the
:01:58. > :01:58.results from the council elections and the latest on those European
:01:59. > :02:02.elections too. Join politic`l editor elections too. Join political editor
:02:03. > :02:06.John Hess for the European dlection John Hess for the European dlection
:02:07. > :02:13.debate on your BBC local radio station from seven o'clock tomorrow
:02:14. > :02:15.evening. Thanks to all our guests. Time to hand you back to Andrew
:02:16. > :02:20.Neil. thank you very much indeed. Back to
:02:21. > :02:34.Andrew. Welcome back. Politicians always
:02:35. > :02:39.insist in public that opinion polls do not matter. Even though their own
:02:40. > :02:45.parties each spend a small fortune on private polling. If they take
:02:46. > :02:50.them seriously, so do we! Let's take a closer look. First up, how the
:02:51. > :02:55.votes might fall for the European Parliament. Back in January, Labour
:02:56. > :03:01.looked set to finish first. By April, UKIP had edged into the lead.
:03:02. > :03:04.According to today's poles, Nigel Farage's party is either down into
:03:05. > :03:10.place, or has soared ahead. Both cannot be right. It is a similar
:03:11. > :03:26.picture for the general election. Labour's lead has been cut back by
:03:27. > :03:28.the Tories. This is the most unpredictable general election in a
:03:29. > :03:34.long time. It keeps us in a job! We long time. It keeps us in a job We
:03:35. > :03:38.are joined now by the managing director of the pollsters, ComRes.
:03:39. > :03:43.Welcome to the programme. While the polls all over the place on the
:03:44. > :03:46.European election? We are trying to do two things, figure out who is
:03:47. > :03:51.going to be voting, and how they are going to be voting. I think a lot of
:03:52. > :03:56.the polls are predicting quite high turnout. They are looking at more
:03:57. > :04:01.than 50% turnout, which is simply not can be the case. So, what we are
:04:02. > :04:05.doing is predicting it based on those who are ten out of ten,
:04:06. > :04:07.certain to vote, and it really benefits UKIP, it benefits them
:04:08. > :04:13.democratically, demographically, democratically, demographically
:04:14. > :04:24.with the older age profile, who are going to vote. Another poll gives
:04:25. > :04:27.them only a one-point lead, so, come the results coming out, you are
:04:28. > :04:31.either going to look away ahead of your time or very stupid?
:04:32. > :04:38.Absolutely. That is the job of pollsters. Somebody has to be wrong.
:04:39. > :04:45.Ultimately, we were spot on in 2009, and we are hoping to be spot on on
:04:46. > :04:56.Thursday. So you were spot on on voting intention in 2009? Yes. What
:04:57. > :05:05.does the indications of what is now a four party system mean, does it
:05:06. > :05:11.change the nature of your methods? It changes how we look at the polls,
:05:12. > :05:16.how we look at what is going to happen as a result of the vote.
:05:17. > :05:21.Predicting the number of seats is becoming more and more important and
:05:22. > :05:22.more difficult to do, because distribution is becoming
:05:23. > :05:31.fundamentally important. Because it is for parties? That's right. . Does
:05:32. > :05:33.the polling give us any evidence to try to settle the matter of whether
:05:34. > :05:39.UKIP votes are coming from? Yes We UKIP votes are coming from? Yes. We
:05:40. > :05:43.know that over 50% of the UKIP vote share is coming from the
:05:44. > :05:46.Conservatives come people who did vote Conservative in 2010. But
:05:47. > :05:52.actually, the other 50% is coming from a wide range of different
:05:53. > :05:55.sources. And what we are seeing is that ultimately, every single
:05:56. > :05:59.establishment party should be worried, because the people voting
:06:00. > :06:04.for UKIP are the people that really do not like politics at the moment.
:06:05. > :06:10.They are wanting people to speak on their behalf, so it affects all of
:06:11. > :06:13.them. There is evidence that there is now a move of some working-class
:06:14. > :06:19.Labour votes to UKIP as well? That's right. That is what I mean about the
:06:20. > :06:24.establishment vote, the people that they can really reach out to, who
:06:25. > :06:30.are really interested in things like immigration, in those single issues,
:06:31. > :06:34.where they do not feel the political parties of the mainstream are
:06:35. > :06:39.representing them. I would suggest that for the European elections,
:06:40. > :06:47.where turnout is low, ComRes may be right or wrong, but likely to vote
:06:48. > :06:51.would seem to be the yardstick. I would say that is true in almost any
:06:52. > :06:55.European election apart from this one. Because there has been so much
:06:56. > :06:59.attention on this election, because of UKIP and the probably do that
:07:00. > :07:04.they will win second, I wonder whether it is now such a big topic
:07:05. > :07:07.of conversation, the subject of Nigel Farage, that people who would
:07:08. > :07:20.otherwise talk a good game about Nigel Farage, that people who would
:07:21. > :07:28.underestimate how many people are completely disengaged by politics. I
:07:29. > :07:33.think it is very easy for us to think, and I agree that by any other
:07:34. > :07:36.standards, this is the most coverage a European election has ever had in
:07:37. > :07:40.Britain, but still, most people don't care. Instinctively, Nick,
:07:41. > :07:40.Britain, but still, most people don't care. Instinctively, Nick you
:07:41. > :07:46.don't care. Instinctively, Nick, you would think, if you are a UKIP
:07:47. > :07:49.photo, if you have made that choice, then you would probably be more
:07:50. > :07:53.motivated to go and vote on Thursday? I am sure that is right.
:07:54. > :07:57.Also, the publicity that Nigel Farage has had. And also, as
:07:58. > :09:41.Catherine says, Farage has had. And also, as
:09:42. > :09:46.yet. If UKIP does well, there could be some leadership crises we will
:09:47. > :09:59.have to cover. I want to look at a couple of the headlines on the
:10:00. > :10:05.screen. Now, it seems, as you can see from the Mail, Mr Miliband could
:10:06. > :10:10.be in some trouble. The Labour MP for Rochdale talking about the
:10:11. > :10:14.mantra of misery which is Labour's policy is not going down well. And
:10:15. > :10:18.there are also rumbles about, if Mr Clegg comes fourth or even fifth in
:10:19. > :10:22.the European elections, that there will be a plot to remove him. There
:10:23. > :10:30.are not many names behind that plot yet, but Vince Cable does get an
:10:31. > :10:38.honourable mention! Not that he is plotting, but he could take over! If
:10:39. > :10:43.Labour comes a poor second, and the Tories are third, and Nick Clegg is
:10:44. > :10:47.nowhere, there is a Clevedon-Miliband agenda, isn't
:10:48. > :10:56.there? It will be very different for each man. The worst thing that could
:10:57. > :11:00.happen to Labour is if Nick Clegg loses his job, because he will be
:11:01. > :11:04.replaced by somebody substantially to the left of him, you would have
:11:05. > :11:09.to assume, someone like Tim Farron. I think it is unlikely that David
:11:10. > :11:13.Laws Danny Alexander, the two prominent figures who are to the
:11:14. > :11:18.right of him, would win the leadership. If it is someone who is
:11:19. > :11:23.quite a way to the left of Nick Clegg, then some voters might find
:11:24. > :11:28.the party a more attractive proposition. Which is why the Tories
:11:29. > :11:31.want to hold on to Nick Clegg. Absolutely. But I think you are
:11:32. > :11:37.right, there is a really big bubble for Ed Miliband here. The second big
:11:38. > :11:40.thing, I do not know if you saw the photo opportunity this week, Boris
:11:41. > :11:45.Johnson strolling through a garden with David Cameron, they got off the
:11:46. > :11:53.chew one-stop early just to appreciate the spring sunshine. But
:11:54. > :11:56.where are the shadow cabinet? I hear rumours of a politician called
:11:57. > :12:00.Yvette Cooper, but I do not know what she has been up to recently.
:12:01. > :12:04.And Rachel Reeves and Andy Burnham, all of these big hitters are not
:12:05. > :12:10.lashing themselves to the mast of the Labour election campaign. And
:12:11. > :12:13.some of these big hitters are immensely talented, Rachel Reeves,
:12:14. > :12:16.Chuka Umunna, these guys are really talented. You get the impression
:12:17. > :12:22.that they are watching this as you say and biding their time. Ed
:12:23. > :12:26.Miliband has bet the farm on this calculation that there has been this
:12:27. > :12:30.rupture between the rise in wages and the rise in inflation, although
:12:31. > :12:37.that is now beginning to slow. The calculation he is making is that in
:12:38. > :12:41.the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney was ahead on many of the
:12:42. > :12:45.economic indicators, but Barack Obama won because he said, I am on
:12:46. > :12:50.your side. He has bet the farm on that. But there is a big difference
:12:51. > :12:52.between Miliband and Barack Obama, which is that Barack Obama was
:12:53. > :12:56.elected in 2008 after the crash, so elected in 2008 after the crash so
:12:57. > :13:02.everything he did was about rescue. The problem for Ed Miliband and Ed
:13:03. > :13:05.Balls is that they were in power when the crash happened, so it is
:13:06. > :13:10.difficult to make that comparison. Labour is nip and tuck with the
:13:11. > :13:15.Tories, or ahead by a small amount - Mr Miliband's personal ratings are
:13:16. > :13:18.much worse than what David Cameron's were at the same stage in
:13:19. > :13:25.the political cycle, does that matter? I think personal ratings do
:13:26. > :13:31.matter, particularly if things like Ukraine gained more prominence in
:13:32. > :13:36.the media. It is a question of who you want as your statesman. But on
:13:37. > :13:39.the economy specifically, actually, the economic ratings in terms of
:13:40. > :13:46.confidence in the leader has not changed. That has not changed for
:13:47. > :13:53.years now. It is pretty stable. Actually, the narrowing of the polls
:13:54. > :13:58.could be due to the usual narrowing about 12 months out from the
:13:59. > :14:02.election, and Labour really need to use the momentum. Thank you for
:14:03. > :14:06.that. Plenty to talk about after you all go to the polls on Thursday
:14:07. > :14:10.There will be tonnes of election coverage and results on the BBC
:14:11. > :14:14.Thursday night, Friday, and of course, Sunday night, when the
:14:15. > :14:18.European results come out. Daily Politics is back on BBC Two tomorrow
:14:19. > :14:22.lunchtime. I will be back here next Sunday at 11 o'clock as usual for
:14:23. > :14:25.The Sunday Politics. Remember, if it is Sunday, it is The Sunday