:01:41. > :01:45.As the Greek voters go to the polls, we've come to the European
:01:45. > :01:55.Parliament in Strasbourg to see if the East of England can weather a
:01:55. > :01:55.
:01:55. > :28:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1619 seconds
:28:54. > :28:58.euro-zone storm. And how we're Welcome to Sunday Politics for the
:28:58. > :29:02.East. This is the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Coming up,
:29:02. > :29:06.prayers were friends and families as the Greek community in the East
:29:07. > :29:11.comes together to offer support and help to their compatriots.
:29:11. > :29:15.So we have come to Europe, where with Greece holding fresh elections,
:29:15. > :29:23.the future of the euro-zone hangs in the balance. The question is,
:29:23. > :29:27.what will this mean for us? We can ask their guests. We have a
:29:27. > :29:33.conservative MEP and the Labour MP. You were the Conservative Nicolas
:29:33. > :29:40.80 on a package of EU banking reforms. -- Conservative negotiator.
:29:40. > :29:44.What does this mean? This is bringing strong roles for banks,
:29:44. > :29:48.globally and internationally, so that banks should have enough
:29:48. > :29:55.liquidity not to go bust. We won strong international rules, because
:29:55. > :30:00.we know that bank failure in one place can be important for the UK's.
:30:00. > :30:06.And we want to make sure the UK can go further. We want stronger rules
:30:06. > :30:11.for our banks. We do not want rules to prevent that. And coming up now,
:30:11. > :30:15.with the euro-zone talking about banking union, we do not want banks
:30:15. > :30:22.supervised by Brussels, that is like handing the keys to the Bank
:30:23. > :30:28.of England to Brussels. Can we prevent bail-outs in the future?
:30:28. > :30:34.are in a probably worst recession since the 1930s. -- than the 1930s.
:30:34. > :30:38.None of us can be absolutely certain about things. George
:30:38. > :30:44.Osborne is blaming the British recession on the euro-zone when we
:30:44. > :30:49.all know that imports, exports rather, have gone up. That has
:30:49. > :30:54.diminished the time that Britain has gone into recession. This is a
:30:55. > :31:00.recession made in Downing Street, not Europe, an important message.
:31:00. > :31:04.Thank you for now. You are not alone in contributing to the debate.
:31:04. > :31:11.Many of our MPs have penned publications of every kind with
:31:11. > :31:16.opinions on what is the best way forward now.
:31:16. > :31:20.The euro-zone, the European Union, the wider European Community, where
:31:20. > :31:24.should we be? The future of the relationship with Europe is the
:31:24. > :31:30.subject of much debate and many parliamentarians are having their
:31:30. > :31:35.say. We should be negotiating to repatriate much of the structural
:31:36. > :31:39.fund money that currently Britain pays over to the EU, 9 billion of
:31:39. > :31:44.which over seven years the EU then decides to give back to Britain,
:31:44. > :31:49.which is completely bonkers. 4 billion of which gets recycled
:31:49. > :31:54.around wealthier EU member cities. Reforming the relationship with
:31:54. > :31:58.Europe is the fresh that this woman hopes will be the basis of a White
:31:58. > :32:07.Paper adopted by the Government by Christmas. The Nikkei was using
:32:07. > :32:13.effectively out of the EU -- moving out of the EU is something else.
:32:13. > :32:19.you look at the balance of payments situation, the deficit with EU, 16
:32:19. > :32:23.billion surplus with the rest of the wild. Bearing in mind all her
:32:23. > :32:28.mac attention has been drawn towards Europe, we really have a
:32:28. > :32:35.great opportunity out there to return to global trading routes.
:32:35. > :32:40.the euro-zone did collapse, one MPs argues for some upsides.
:32:40. > :32:47.project we kept clear of, quite rightly, the euro, is imploding in
:32:47. > :32:51.front of us. We have to be prepared for the fall-out. There could be a
:32:51. > :32:57.lot more dodgy water for the UK, but an opportunity, money fleeing
:32:58. > :33:02.the Continent to us. We can put it in stuff that builds up for the UK.
:33:02. > :33:06.And the structure for broadband, roads and so on. There are those
:33:06. > :33:13.who have maintained a federal Europe with us filly in the circle
:33:13. > :33:23.is the only way forward. The last few months have proven that. If we
:33:23. > :33:23.
:33:23. > :33:30.are not able to take decisive steps to a more federal, more integrated
:33:30. > :33:34.structure, then the whole thing will fall apart. Wife -- we are
:33:34. > :33:37.familiar with a happy medium. But what the future of the European
:33:37. > :33:41.project in doubt, this could be a defining moment when serious
:33:41. > :33:46.decisions have to be made about exactly where we want to be in the
:33:46. > :33:51.future. Let us start with where you see us
:33:51. > :33:56.in the future. The euro-zone, the European Union or the wider
:33:56. > :34:01.European Committee? Where will we stand? Clearly, there is a lot
:34:01. > :34:04.changing within the euro-zone because of this crisis. What used
:34:04. > :34:09.to be just the European Union, they are now talking about this though
:34:09. > :34:19.union, banking union, and in the UK, we cannot get involved with that.
:34:19. > :34:24.We are not in the euro. We cannot be finding a bail-out of that. The
:34:24. > :34:30.question is, how do you hold on to the common single market? And keep
:34:30. > :34:36.the UK and our businesses and jobs that rely on that European trade
:34:36. > :34:40.involved in the single market. That is the discussion that I think is
:34:40. > :34:48.growing all the time. That is when we look at proposals like this we
:34:48. > :34:52.have to have some very clear out lines. The same question to you?
:34:52. > :34:57.sorry for the Conservative member - - the conservative MEP, trying to
:34:57. > :35:01.make this work, when they are completely undermined by colleagues.
:35:01. > :35:05.The idea that Britain should leave the European Union, which is in
:35:05. > :35:11.essence what they are wanting, would be hugely damaging to
:35:11. > :35:15.business and jobs. And the fact that is the deficit, that means the
:35:15. > :35:25.best of Europe is subsidising high standards in Britain. -- the rest
:35:25. > :35:29.of Europe. We decide, British MEP, British can ministers -- British
:35:29. > :35:32.commissioners and ministers decide this. I am proud of the money
:35:32. > :35:38.coming to the East of England, two women projects, Disabled People's
:35:38. > :35:42.Project, and young people getting back into work. That is a good
:35:42. > :35:46.thing. What about the argument that we could benefit from money
:35:46. > :35:52.flooding out of Europe? Should there be a collapse in the euro-
:35:52. > :35:56.zone? The UK already is benefiting from investment. Investment has
:35:56. > :36:00.increased as the euro-zone has become more troubled. How long that
:36:01. > :36:06.stays, and there is an issue with a lot of jobs related to trade in
:36:06. > :36:10.Europe. I think you are over simplifying it. The vast majority
:36:10. > :36:18.of people in the UK think the European federalising Asian has
:36:18. > :36:22.gone too far. They would like to hold on to single market links. --
:36:22. > :36:27.European federal project has gone too far. People do not want things
:36:27. > :36:30.to go any farther. Whilst I agree there has been some good projects
:36:30. > :36:38.in the East of England, it is an expensive way to spend taxpayers'
:36:38. > :36:41.money. What about the fact that this new money could find new
:36:41. > :36:49.infrastructure for the East? Badly needed better broadband, one
:36:49. > :36:55.example? What about railway links. We know the links across the region
:36:55. > :37:02.at a polling compared with those in London. And environmental projects,
:37:02. > :37:07.including the coastline, birdlife and others restored and enhanced.
:37:07. > :37:13.Look at the money that goes into small businesses and to new
:37:13. > :37:20.business -- sups through enterprise funds. -- Business starting through
:37:20. > :37:25.enterprise buns. That is us at the table coming to the decisions.
:37:25. > :37:29.Thank you for the moment. If Greece does exit the euro-zone,
:37:29. > :37:33.what will it be like for the people? That is the concern from
:37:33. > :37:37.many from our region with friends and family back home in Greece. We
:37:37. > :37:44.have been looking at how the community at home is lending a
:37:44. > :37:52.long-distance helping hand. The Greek community is praying very
:37:52. > :37:56.hard at the moment. Nearly everyone here at this ceremony in Southend
:37:56. > :38:05.has family backing police living through hard times. My sister is a
:38:05. > :38:09.teacher. Her salary was cut by 40%. Her mortgage is similar. They have
:38:09. > :38:14.to take emergency tax every month. We have heard stories of people
:38:14. > :38:20.committing suicide because they do not have enough money. One relative
:38:20. > :38:25.has had her telephone removed, then her electricity. She has no money,
:38:25. > :38:29.waiting for money from relatives. There is also a sizable Greek
:38:29. > :38:37.community in Northampton, where many of them listen to this local
:38:37. > :38:40.radio station. The Greek crisis often is a topic of conversation.
:38:40. > :38:47.think it is mainly the politicians of the beasts that have not done a
:38:47. > :38:52.good job. The people voted them in, and the politicians did not live up
:38:52. > :38:57.to the people's expectations. -- politicians of Greece. Rhys has
:38:57. > :39:02.been at the centre of the storm, austerity Harting. -- Greece has
:39:02. > :39:08.been. Many people have been laid off pending the results of the
:39:08. > :39:12.elections. This woman is a lecturer at University of East Anglia. Her
:39:12. > :39:16.parents have seen their pensions cut by 20%, her brother-in-law
:39:17. > :39:23.retired early last year and are still waiting for his. The people
:39:23. > :39:31.who are paying for this mess other people who have always paid their
:39:31. > :39:37.taxes and worked very hard. This is the injustice. What particularly
:39:37. > :39:41.worries fire is how well extreme right Golden Dawn party did in last
:39:41. > :39:51.month's elections. She fears austerity is driving people to
:39:51. > :39:56.support extremism. This is brightening. -- brightening. Greece
:39:56. > :40:04.fought against fascism and dictatorship. To have this is very
:40:04. > :40:09.disheartening. -- this is frightening. This woman stays in
:40:09. > :40:16.regular touch with her family. This teacher from Athens Telstar like
:40:16. > :40:23.this and nightmare, prices keep going up. -- says that this is a
:40:23. > :40:28.nightmare. Feeling that you are the reason why the whole economic
:40:28. > :40:32.system of the whole community, the European Germany, is -- the
:40:32. > :40:38.European Committee, is down to you. It is heavy to Barden. I do not
:40:38. > :40:43.think this has happened any time in history of Greeks being made feel
:40:43. > :40:49.so responsible for so many other country's difficulties. You think
:40:49. > :40:56.the Greeks are being unfairly picked on? Definitely. Back in
:40:57. > :41:02.Southend, two elections. These That uncertain and worrying times. --
:41:02. > :41:12.two collections. People are hoping for stability and the way forward.
:41:12. > :41:24.
:41:24. > :41:33.We are joined by two more European MPs. -- European MPs. -- MEPs.
:41:33. > :41:40.Thank you all for joining as that. Some of Greek descent. That puts
:41:40. > :41:44.you in a unique position. Unique, but difficult, having to explain to
:41:44. > :41:52.the Germans the Greek situation and to the Greeks why the Germans want
:41:52. > :41:56.austerity. Not an easy job. How has that been? Having been born in
:41:56. > :42:01.Germany, I never expected relations between Germany and Greece to go
:42:01. > :42:08.very close to after Second World War. That is where we at at the
:42:08. > :42:11.moment. It is difficult to build it up again. But that is my job.
:42:11. > :42:17.heard in that report one lady saying that she believes the Greeks
:42:17. > :42:22.are being unfairly picked on. Do you believe -- you agree? This is
:42:22. > :42:31.the general feeling in and two. Greece had a very harsh your last
:42:31. > :42:36.year. -- general feeling in Greece. There are fears about the future.
:42:36. > :42:41.It is not just austerity, but a unique crisis of confidence, now
:42:41. > :42:46.moving all around Europe. The Greek economy cannot move, it is dropping
:42:46. > :42:52.like a rock, because no one knows what will happen next, so there is
:42:52. > :42:59.no investment and no real a new economic activity. How concerned
:42:59. > :43:03.are you by the rise of the right in these elections? The rise of the
:43:04. > :43:10.extreme left and right is extremely concerning. What you have been
:43:10. > :43:15.Greece is at governance problem. People proposing things that are
:43:15. > :43:21.not close to reality, so far away from reality that it is like no
:43:21. > :43:25.political discussion. And those that are keeping their senses are,
:43:25. > :43:30.I am upgrade, not always in the majority. We will see what will
:43:30. > :43:37.happen in the election. Out fire is the German electorate prepared to
:43:37. > :43:41.go to support Greece? -- how far. It is not that the bail-out would
:43:41. > :43:48.be paid. The reality is that no politician tells them that Germany
:43:48. > :43:53.has made some 45 billion only because of interest rates. There is
:43:53. > :43:57.a very good thing in the crisis for the Germans, politicians have to be
:43:57. > :44:02.authentic, telling the electorate that the Greek politicians do not
:44:02. > :44:10.always tell the truth. We have a big misunderstanding in Europe. We
:44:10. > :44:15.should be more open and true to each other. What do you say to
:44:15. > :44:20.politicians, the belief that politicians have failed? It is the
:44:20. > :44:24.political system that has not succeeded. We have those elected
:44:24. > :44:31.that have big responsibilities and those that have smaller
:44:31. > :44:36.responsibilities. Voices in that report saying they feel responsible
:44:36. > :44:45.for pulling down the whole European Community. Some Greek people saying
:44:45. > :44:51.that. Is it their fault? The Greek Conservatives And New Democracy to
:44:51. > :44:54.have some responsibility. I have some sympathy for the Greek
:44:54. > :45:02.community in the East of England. It is great to see Europeans,
:45:02. > :45:06.Greeks, in our universities, places of work, churchs. And the
:45:06. > :45:10.contribution we all make to each other. But I feel for the Greek
:45:10. > :45:16.community. Although there is some political blame, it is true the
:45:16. > :45:21.suicide rate has gone up 40%. Wages have gone down 50%. Huge increases
:45:21. > :45:24.in prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases. This is a
:45:24. > :45:31.society which has been ultimately challenged. It has some
:45:31. > :45:34.responsibility, but the idea that we should be somehow immune or
:45:34. > :45:38.disinterested in the fate of an important country in Europe, and
:45:38. > :45:44.one with a huge history and huge contribution to make, that would be
:45:44. > :45:49.a mistake. Bringing this back to banking, we have learnt that
:45:49. > :45:56.several local authorities in the East have money invested in the
:45:56. > :46:00.euro-zone. For example, Essex County Council has more than �230
:46:00. > :46:05.million denominated in euros as part of its pension funds. Some of
:46:05. > :46:11.that in shares, some cash. With your banking background, would you
:46:11. > :46:16.at the moment put money into European banks? Into the banks on
:46:16. > :46:20.into the economy of Europe? I do what the economy is going to grow.
:46:20. > :46:25.Still a lot of can -- there is still concern a lot of the backs up
:46:25. > :46:31.a lot of problems. This has never have been a question about Greece,
:46:31. > :46:36.but contagion into other countries, particularly Spain and a downgrade
:46:36. > :46:43.in France. Thank goodness the UK, through its own programme, has
:46:43. > :46:48.managed to maintain a strong credit going into the UK. There are still
:46:48. > :46:52.a lot of problems and this has a long way to run. I think the Greek
:46:52. > :46:57.people here, acute sympathy, but they have never been offered the
:46:58. > :47:02.choice. -- huge sympathy. The choice has been to kick them out of
:47:02. > :47:09.the euro or keep them in. Not to offer them rich rights. It is up to
:47:09. > :47:13.the Greek people to have that and that is difficult when it is an
:47:13. > :47:19.election in such a high frenzy. I wish that the electorate was last
:47:19. > :47:29.year. Thank you, we leave it there. Now it is time for the round up in
:47:29. > :47:30.
:47:30. > :47:37.60 minutes -- 60 seconds. When you are rushing from A2 B, do
:47:37. > :47:42.not take the Midland Mainline says the MP campaigning for an upgrade.
:47:42. > :47:52.Due to under investment, trains cannot walk but there top speed on
:47:52. > :47:58.any stretch of the track. Moffat and Suffolk MP lobbying to the end
:47:58. > :48:04.of a bottleneck. -- Norfolk. This will have a big boost to the East
:48:04. > :48:09.Anglian economy and especially in places in my constituency.
:48:09. > :48:14.Majesty the Queen continued her Diamond Jubilee tour in our region,
:48:14. > :48:21.hosting at adding party at Sandringham. -- hosting a garden
:48:21. > :48:25.party. Adrian Ramsay decided not to stand as leader of the Green Party.
:48:25. > :48:30.And taking us by surprise, Anglian Water with the dog hosepipe ban
:48:30. > :48:34.after what has been dubbed it the wettest drought on record. --