24/06/2012 Sunday Politics East

Here in the east, new candidates revealed for the role of police

commissioner. And how best French oil refinery has been given a bail-

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1999 seconds

out will workers over here face the Hello and welcome to the programme.

Coming up, Labour wants their line- up for the new role of police

commissioner. It is part of the biggest shake-up of policing Eric

many years. And now meet our guest, at the

Labour and Conservative MPs. Let's talk about the region's

unemployment figures which came out this week. Once again, the buck the

national trend. This time, they are up by 1,000. 2,000 people looking

for work in the east. When will the Government makes some jobs for

these people? We are, we have made 6,000 or more new Private sector

jobs since 20th May 10. The direction of travel is right, but

taking individual figures, there are bound to the regional

differences and fluctuations, and obviously it is quite disappointing

that this has gone up in the east. We do seem to be well below the

national average unemployment rate, 6.8%, hardly weathering the

recession better Shia than in other parts of the country? There is much

worse to come. The Government is insisting on going on with it cuts

programme. There are many more cuts to come. Before the last election,

unemployment was coming down. It has gone up since then. It is

substantially higher than it was one year ago. In my constituency,

we are still above the national average.

Stem with jobs and unemployment, the first 200 jobs will go at the

Cotton Oil refinery in Essex next week. It will be the emission --

issued will be the first wave of redundancies at the plant since its

but with its parent company in January. 850 jobs are at stake. The

Government is adamant that it cannot legally give aid to the

plant. It has been a different story in France.

They protest by oil refinery workers, days from redundancy and

desperate for Government help. nothing is done now, then we will

have people being thrown on the scrapheap for no reason at all.

This is the refinery they are tried to save. Coryton, capacity 9

million tonnes per year. 850 jobs. How does a profitable oil refinery

end up on the verge of closure? The big money is in extracting oil, not

refining it. Also, Coryton produces mainly petrol and demand for petrol

is falling. More and more drivers are switching to diesel. Back in

20th June -- back in June 2007, BP sold Coryton to a Swiss owned

company called petrol plus, but in January this year, that company

went bust and Clayton was put up for sale again. Last month,

Coryton's administrators said they have not found a buyer, leaving

workers facing the dole queue. one of the lucky ones who can

manage, but I look at many of my work friends and they will struggle.

Recorded in the struggle could -- have committed as close, it will be

a huge blow to the local economy. An impact assessment put the loss

at �100 million. �30 million in wages alone. In the Commons, one MP

called for an urgent debate about the state of the UK's refining and

dentistry. Can be explored in that debate what help the Government can

give to the industry and whether or not it is possible to offer some

form of financial assistance, as he did to the banks so that we can

keep order to open. I am not sure that keeping the refinery open

indefinitely at the public expense would be the best use of resources.

At this public meeting in Basildon, angered that the Government is not

do more. Anyone who thinks that this is the state had and 50 people

who are having problems, no. This is the whole community. In ten days,

redundancies will be coming through the door. Elsewhere in Europe,

governments have saved stricken refineries. We travelled to this

town in France. Like tourism, the refinery here was also owned by the

Swiss company, but unlike Coryton, it is still in business largely

thanks to promises of Government help. The workers here say they

were lucky that the crisis hit in the middle of a French presidential

election campaign. The fate of the refine their and their jobs became

a national issue. It was either they came and spoke to us and says

what their position was or it would have been war. What would that have

meant? We would have simply shut down the facility, closed the roads

and forced the Government to look at the situation. Everton would

have stopped. Back in the United Kennon, Labour MEP Richard have it

seen speaking to quarry to workers, criticise the Coalition for not

even formally consulting the European Commission about the

option of state support. And Whitehall, after another

frustrating meeting, the quarries are workers vowed to adopt a more

Gallic tactics. They have already staged one demo at eight fuel depot,

the unit union said that more will follow. A this Ollerton time no one

is listed, so maybe we have to take drastic action to make people

listen. They feel protest. The workers hope it will force the

coalition to save Coryton. Joining as at is a former Labour MP

and the eight former chair of the all-party British offshore oil and

gas group. I have recorded in problems symptomatic of the

industry as a whole? They are, and Coryton is a tragedy for all the

people there and their families. It is something we should all be were

-- something we should all be worried about because of the

refinery capacity. We have a shortfall in refining diesel. We

are already importing 15 to 20% of a diesel, that is why we are pay

more at the pump. With the loss of Crediton, that will be a further

10% shortfall. -- with the loss of Coryton. It is dangerous for this

country to rely on imported fuel from places like the Middle East.

The Government must act. Not only for the jobs at Coryton, but also

to ensure that be have enough diesel to be able to function as a

country. What about the fact that no buyer has been found? You cannot

magic a buyer from nowhere. reason that people are not

investing in refining in this country is because of the lack of a

level playing field. The government-commissioned report to

see what they could do to make this country a more attractive

investment area. The report said that they could stop imposing

higher carbon taxes than other countries, that they could stop

called putting legislation and environmental legislation so that

it was not more burdensome than other countries, and they could

encourage investment by offering soft loans or loan guarantees. This

report was delivered to the minister one year ago. It has been

on his table for a here and he has done nothing. No buyer has yet been

found for Coryton, but by pledging support and keeping the French

refinery open the French Government had seemingly secured its future.

Isn't it time for our Government to do the same? And absolutely, the

Government is simply hiding behind EU legislation and as Abbott says,

we could actually put the plant into temporary or permanent public

on a ship. The plant is inherently profitable, perhaps but as

profitable as other uses but it is actually profitable. We deduce

stand on this? The Government say they cannot replace it in. It is

important to recognise the difference between what is

happening in Coryton and what is happening in France. They are

keeping the refinery going whilst still searching for a buyer. It is

not right to say that no one is interested in buying the Coryton

refinery as it is. We did not say that, we said that no buyer has

been found. No buyer has been found to operate it as a refinery. They

are looking for alternative uses. That is what has made it

increasingly difficult to keep refining capacity here at Coryton.

I am trying to build a case to the Government on the lines that there

is a huge economic impact associated with the closure of this

refinery and it damages her feel security. I am struggling to get

that message across to the Government. They do not see it that

way. They believe there is overcapacity in the United Kingdom

and UK refining markets. However, it is a profitable refinery and

supports a large number of jobs and I am working hard to say that.

we have to accept that the economy is the changing? That there is an

international market and this is just the way that things are going?

I do not think we should give up. That is why the French Government

are doing the right thing. They are saying that this is an important

industry, not just for people's jobs but for security and supply.

It would be disastrous. We're talking about 25% of the diesel is

Coryton closes been imported from foreign countries. Battersea been

to his place to be. This project is important for the -- that is a

dangerous place to be, this project is important for the whole country.

Back in 2003, they were fined 2 million euros. Are you saying that

her Government should actually break the law effectively and

suffer the consequences later? not encouraging the Government to

break the law, I am asking them to look creatively at what further

support they can get to the refinery. I do not believe that

state ownership is an option, public on a ship would be �1

billion not just to bite you fine you but to operate it. The

throughput of crude that goes through and the storage of fuel.

But there must be a way that we can find of helping a buyer comes

forward and operate the refinery. Would the Labour Government are in

a Labour Government have broken these European rules? If I had my

way I would settle the pick those rules. Other countries have broken

them. It is ridiculous that we have rules made in the European Union

that some countries feel free to fight and we seem to go along. We

are a very law-abiding country. We must look at changing both was as

well. What would the impact be in your opinion on the local economy

if the seat had and 50 jobs were lost? There will be a huge impact

both locally and regionally, it is a beetle employer at has many

suppliers across the south-east of England and across the country, so

the impact of its closure would be felt not just locally. But luckily,

we have had a refining tradition it is part of our industrial heritage.

There were once the refineries and that is just now 01. It to be a

tragedy if it closed. We will leave it there. Now to the

way be run our police forces. There have always been bodies overseeing

the work of the police from Justices of the piece to the board

committees. But it has been the work of police authorities since

1964. Now they are to be replaced for a -- replaced by a single

police commissioner for each forced that you will let in five months'

time. The first candidates are These are the people that Labour

are hoping will soon be the region's police commissioners. One

for each county, many local councillors. All stressing that if

elected they will be independent. My track record always says that I

stand up for the people who I represent. What I want people to

see me as his Norfolk minded, rather than particularly label --

particularly Labour or independent- minded. We're looking for local

solutions. This is a new idea, one person to be the face of policing

any county. Responsible for policy, not day-to-day operations and

answerable to the electorate. The biggest challenge at the moment is

to sell the idea to voters. What is wrong with the current system? Were

should they get more money wasted? I do not think it needs to be

changed. The minister in Northampton this week try to do his

bed. Everyone will have their say and the ability to influence local

policing. Priorities to put the public in the driving seat. This

will strengthen the bridge between the police and the public. Labour

have their team in place, the Lib Dems are still deciding if they

will even take part. The Conservatives have selected just

two candidates. This is their candidate for Northamptonshire,

very enthusiastic about the new post. It is the best opportunity to

do new things. I do not have to step into anyone else's footsteps.

I can develop this and make it what I will. The wild card in these

elections could be the independent candidates, local people who feel

strongly about policing, like this but has been in Norfolk. I have

lost �250,000 invested this year of one that I would say that in the

last 40 years since I had been in business and of loss or �1 million.

I can tell you know that nobody has ever been caught or convicted for

any of those crimes. The candidates are enthusiastic, now they must win

over the public. The Labour Party seems to have

embraced this idea, have you? Labour has embraced the idea, the

legislation has gone through and we have a candidates, as you have seen.

I think the main thing is to try and protect the country and

Protector region against the effect of police cuts. I am getting a

negative vibes from me on this. Are you grudgingly accepting what has

been decided? Can masterly we have put a case, an alternative case,

but now we have police commissioners be appointed go for

it very strongly and to her best to protect the public, given that we

will have savaged police cuts which are really affecting us now.

times of austerity, why spend more than �100 million on electing these

people? This is about closing the democratic deficit, I do not think

that it can be a bad idea to have someone who is in charge of

policing at local level. Someone directly accountable to the people

they serve. That is what this is about. I am hoping that the cost of

collecting police commissioners, whatever that turns out to be, will

be more than covered by the commissioner's ability to cut

bureaucracy and get a policeman head of police stations at onto the

streets. He will police the commissioners? Communities. The

police's any elected representative? People put

themselves forward and see what they're on to do and then do it and

are held to account by the public. What is your view on this idea? In

America there have been several cases of corruption. I am sure it

will not be the case with their candidates, particularly in

Bedfordshire, all Martin's is just a brilliant guy had a personal

friends that he will do a superb job for Bedfordshire. Is it too

much power in the hands of one person? I do not think so. -- I do

not think so, provided you get the right candidates. We have the right

candidate in the east for my party and whoever wins at Opel to the

best job possible and try and project -- whoever wins will do the

best job possible and try and protect the police procedures.

candidates have been rejected that Major referenda in several cities,

again, who is going to oversee, you mentioned the public will oversee,

but once someone has been appointed head than they did that? They hold

them to account at elections in the way that we are both held to

account in elections. There will be checks and balances, there will

still be the Home Office who can call into account if things are

going wrong and there will be local panels that they will work in

conjunction with. I see this as a real step forward, this is about

democracy and transparency and accountability. It is through those

things that we can manage the police budget. We can manage it

better and to better. Time for her weekly political

ground up. One of the usual suspects has a bone to pick with

It has been a week of complaints kicks off by the local MP over

Boris Johnson's suggestion of a second runway at Stansted. This

will idea that the problems in the short-term can be served by a

second runway at Stansted. It goes against the very concept of a hub

airport. Another MP is cross that more farm workers are being

exploited by unscrupulous gang masters.

Complaints of striking doctors that there be made to take more and wait

longer for their pensions cut no cloth with Suffolk MP Dan Poulter.

There is a good deal on the table. The MP for Wellingborough wants to

part company from the coalition altogether. Would my preferred to

Deputy Prime Minister a race a report from the yellow perils?

believe a divorce would be very Let's talk about the industrial

action by the doctors. But to support this? Know I did not. I

understand that no one liked to have their pension arrangements

changed, but I think that for doctors to have gone on strike is

the wrong move. But is it fair that their pain effectively a higher

percentage than other civil servants on the same salary? After

these changes they will have the best possible publicly funded

pension imaginable. Dad has to be paid for. To be paid for through

additional contributions. They should focus on their patients and

I am pleased to say that, I do not what they have reports that doctors,

that many did not strike. I think this is for the doctors to support

their action, they were obviously extremely angry and I think that

many doctors who did not take strike action felt equally angry

but felt they could not actually on that particular day take the action

with their fellow striking doctors. Even those who went to work felt

very unhappy about the situation and I think they still do.

Thank you both very much for your time today. That is all for now,