17/06/2012 Sunday Politics East


17/06/2012

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As the Greek voters go to the polls, we've come to the European

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Parliament in Strasbourg to see if the East of England can weather a

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Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1619 seconds

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euro-zone storm. And how we're Welcome to Sunday Politics for the

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East. This is the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Coming up,

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prayers were friends and families as the Greek community in the East

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comes together to offer support and help to their compatriots.

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So we have come to Europe, where with Greece holding fresh elections,

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the future of the euro-zone hangs in the balance. The question is,

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what will this mean for us? We can ask their guests. We have a

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conservative MEP and the Labour MP. You were the Conservative Nicolas

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80 on a package of EU banking reforms. -- Conservative negotiator.

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What does this mean? This is bringing strong roles for banks,

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globally and internationally, so that banks should have enough

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liquidity not to go bust. We won strong international rules, because

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we know that bank failure in one place can be important for the UK's.

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And we want to make sure the UK can go further. We want stronger rules

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for our banks. We do not want rules to prevent that. And coming up now,

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with the euro-zone talking about banking union, we do not want banks

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supervised by Brussels, that is like handing the keys to the Bank

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of England to Brussels. Can we prevent bail-outs in the future?

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are in a probably worst recession since the 1930s. -- than the 1930s.

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None of us can be absolutely certain about things. George

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Osborne is blaming the British recession on the euro-zone when we

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all know that imports, exports rather, have gone up. That has

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diminished the time that Britain has gone into recession. This is a

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recession made in Downing Street, not Europe, an important message.

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Thank you for now. You are not alone in contributing to the debate.

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Many of our MPs have penned publications of every kind with

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opinions on what is the best way forward now.

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The euro-zone, the European Union, the wider European Community, where

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should we be? The future of the relationship with Europe is the

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subject of much debate and many parliamentarians are having their

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say. We should be negotiating to repatriate much of the structural

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fund money that currently Britain pays over to the EU, 9 billion of

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which over seven years the EU then decides to give back to Britain,

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which is completely bonkers. 4 billion of which gets recycled

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around wealthier EU member cities. Reforming the relationship with

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Europe is the fresh that this woman hopes will be the basis of a White

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Paper adopted by the Government by Christmas. The Nikkei was using

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effectively out of the EU -- moving out of the EU is something else.

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you look at the balance of payments situation, the deficit with EU, 16

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billion surplus with the rest of the wild. Bearing in mind all her

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mac attention has been drawn towards Europe, we really have a

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great opportunity out there to return to global trading routes.

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the euro-zone did collapse, one MPs argues for some upsides.

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project we kept clear of, quite rightly, the euro, is imploding in

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front of us. We have to be prepared for the fall-out. There could be a

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lot more dodgy water for the UK, but an opportunity, money fleeing

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the Continent to us. We can put it in stuff that builds up for the UK.

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And the structure for broadband, roads and so on. There are those

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who have maintained a federal Europe with us filly in the circle

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is the only way forward. The last few months have proven that. If we

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are not able to take decisive steps to a more federal, more integrated

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structure, then the whole thing will fall apart. Wife -- we are

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familiar with a happy medium. But what the future of the European

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project in doubt, this could be a defining moment when serious

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decisions have to be made about exactly where we want to be in the

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future. Let us start with where you see us

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in the future. The euro-zone, the European Union or the wider

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European Committee? Where will we stand? Clearly, there is a lot

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changing within the euro-zone because of this crisis. What used

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to be just the European Union, they are now talking about this though

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union, banking union, and in the UK, we cannot get involved with that.

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We are not in the euro. We cannot be finding a bail-out of that. The

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question is, how do you hold on to the common single market? And keep

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the UK and our businesses and jobs that rely on that European trade

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involved in the single market. That is the discussion that I think is

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growing all the time. That is when we look at proposals like this we

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have to have some very clear out lines. The same question to you?

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sorry for the Conservative member - - the conservative MEP, trying to

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make this work, when they are completely undermined by colleagues.

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The idea that Britain should leave the European Union, which is in

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essence what they are wanting, would be hugely damaging to

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business and jobs. And the fact that is the deficit, that means the

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best of Europe is subsidising high standards in Britain. -- the rest

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of Europe. We decide, British MEP, British can ministers -- British

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commissioners and ministers decide this. I am proud of the money

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coming to the East of England, two women projects, Disabled People's

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Project, and young people getting back into work. That is a good

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thing. What about the argument that we could benefit from money

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flooding out of Europe? Should there be a collapse in the euro-

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zone? The UK already is benefiting from investment. Investment has

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increased as the euro-zone has become more troubled. How long that

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stays, and there is an issue with a lot of jobs related to trade in

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Europe. I think you are over simplifying it. The vast majority

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of people in the UK think the European federalising Asian has

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gone too far. They would like to hold on to single market links. --

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European federal project has gone too far. People do not want things

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to go any farther. Whilst I agree there has been some good projects

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in the East of England, it is an expensive way to spend taxpayers'

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money. What about the fact that this new money could find new

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infrastructure for the East? Badly needed better broadband, one

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example? What about railway links. We know the links across the region

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at a polling compared with those in London. And environmental projects,

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including the coastline, birdlife and others restored and enhanced.

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Look at the money that goes into small businesses and to new

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business -- sups through enterprise funds. -- Business starting through

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enterprise buns. That is us at the table coming to the decisions.

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Thank you for the moment. If Greece does exit the euro-zone,

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what will it be like for the people? That is the concern from

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many from our region with friends and family back home in Greece. We

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have been looking at how the community at home is lending a

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long-distance helping hand. The Greek community is praying very

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hard at the moment. Nearly everyone here at this ceremony in Southend

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has family backing police living through hard times. My sister is a

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teacher. Her salary was cut by 40%. Her mortgage is similar. They have

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to take emergency tax every month. We have heard stories of people

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committing suicide because they do not have enough money. One relative

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has had her telephone removed, then her electricity. She has no money,

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waiting for money from relatives. There is also a sizable Greek

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community in Northampton, where many of them listen to this local

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radio station. The Greek crisis often is a topic of conversation.

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think it is mainly the politicians of the beasts that have not done a

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good job. The people voted them in, and the politicians did not live up

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to the people's expectations. -- politicians of Greece. Rhys has

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been at the centre of the storm, austerity Harting. -- Greece has

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been. Many people have been laid off pending the results of the

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elections. This woman is a lecturer at University of East Anglia. Her

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parents have seen their pensions cut by 20%, her brother-in-law

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retired early last year and are still waiting for his. The people

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who are paying for this mess other people who have always paid their

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taxes and worked very hard. This is the injustice. What particularly

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worries fire is how well extreme right Golden Dawn party did in last

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month's elections. She fears austerity is driving people to

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support extremism. This is brightening. -- brightening. Greece

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fought against fascism and dictatorship. To have this is very

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disheartening. -- this is frightening. This woman stays in

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regular touch with her family. This teacher from Athens Telstar like

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this and nightmare, prices keep going up. -- says that this is a

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nightmare. Feeling that you are the reason why the whole economic

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system of the whole community, the European Germany, is -- the

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European Committee, is down to you. It is heavy to Barden. I do not

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think this has happened any time in history of Greeks being made feel

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so responsible for so many other country's difficulties. You think

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the Greeks are being unfairly picked on? Definitely. Back in

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Southend, two elections. These That uncertain and worrying times. --

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two collections. People are hoping for stability and the way forward.

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We are joined by two more European MPs. -- European MPs. -- MEPs.

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Thank you all for joining as that. Some of Greek descent. That puts

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you in a unique position. Unique, but difficult, having to explain to

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the Germans the Greek situation and to the Greeks why the Germans want

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austerity. Not an easy job. How has that been? Having been born in

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Germany, I never expected relations between Germany and Greece to go

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very close to after Second World War. That is where we at at the

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moment. It is difficult to build it up again. But that is my job.

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heard in that report one lady saying that she believes the Greeks

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are being unfairly picked on. Do you believe -- you agree? This is

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the general feeling in and two. Greece had a very harsh your last

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year. -- general feeling in Greece. There are fears about the future.

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It is not just austerity, but a unique crisis of confidence, now

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moving all around Europe. The Greek economy cannot move, it is dropping

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like a rock, because no one knows what will happen next, so there is

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no investment and no real a new economic activity. How concerned

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are you by the rise of the right in these elections? The rise of the

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extreme left and right is extremely concerning. What you have been

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Greece is at governance problem. People proposing things that are

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not close to reality, so far away from reality that it is like no

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political discussion. And those that are keeping their senses are,

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I am upgrade, not always in the majority. We will see what will

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happen in the election. Out fire is the German electorate prepared to

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go to support Greece? -- how far. It is not that the bail-out would

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be paid. The reality is that no politician tells them that Germany

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has made some 45 billion only because of interest rates. There is

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a very good thing in the crisis for the Germans, politicians have to be

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authentic, telling the electorate that the Greek politicians do not

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always tell the truth. We have a big misunderstanding in Europe. We

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should be more open and true to each other. What do you say to

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politicians, the belief that politicians have failed? It is the

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political system that has not succeeded. We have those elected

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that have big responsibilities and those that have smaller

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responsibilities. Voices in that report saying they feel responsible

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for pulling down the whole European Community. Some Greek people saying

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that. Is it their fault? The Greek Conservatives And New Democracy to

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have some responsibility. I have some sympathy for the Greek

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community in the East of England. It is great to see Europeans,

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Greeks, in our universities, places of work, churchs. And the

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contribution we all make to each other. But I feel for the Greek

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community. Although there is some political blame, it is true the

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suicide rate has gone up 40%. Wages have gone down 50%. Huge increases

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in prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases. This is a

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society which has been ultimately challenged. It has some

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responsibility, but the idea that we should be somehow immune or

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disinterested in the fate of an important country in Europe, and

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one with a huge history and huge contribution to make, that would be

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a mistake. Bringing this back to banking, we have learnt that

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several local authorities in the East have money invested in the

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euro-zone. For example, Essex County Council has more than �230

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million denominated in euros as part of its pension funds. Some of

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that in shares, some cash. With your banking background, would you

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at the moment put money into European banks? Into the banks on

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into the economy of Europe? I do what the economy is going to grow.

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Still a lot of can -- there is still concern a lot of the backs up

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a lot of problems. This has never have been a question about Greece,

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but contagion into other countries, particularly Spain and a downgrade

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in France. Thank goodness the UK, through its own programme, has

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managed to maintain a strong credit going into the UK. There are still

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a lot of problems and this has a long way to run. I think the Greek

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people here, acute sympathy, but they have never been offered the

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choice. -- huge sympathy. The choice has been to kick them out of

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the euro or keep them in. Not to offer them rich rights. It is up to

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the Greek people to have that and that is difficult when it is an

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election in such a high frenzy. I wish that the electorate was last

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year. Thank you, we leave it there. Now it is time for the round up in

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60 minutes -- 60 seconds. When you are rushing from A2 B, do

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not take the Midland Mainline says the MP campaigning for an upgrade.

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Due to under investment, trains cannot walk but there top speed on

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any stretch of the track. Moffat and Suffolk MP lobbying to the end

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of a bottleneck. -- Norfolk. This will have a big boost to the East

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Anglian economy and especially in places in my constituency.

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Majesty the Queen continued her Diamond Jubilee tour in our region,

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hosting at adding party at Sandringham. -- hosting a garden

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party. Adrian Ramsay decided not to stand as leader of the Green Party.

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And taking us by surprise, Anglian Water with the dog hosepipe ban

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after what has been dubbed it the wettest drought on record. --

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