:01:41. > :01:51.In the East: The new face of Labour. How much has the party changed? Are
:01:51. > :01:51.
:01:51. > :37:08.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2117 seconds
:37:08. > :37:13.-- howled the energy policy could Hello. Coming up: The latest
:37:13. > :37:20.windfarm off our coast is officially opened. Concern in the
:37:20. > :37:27.industry grows over subsidies in the future. First, let's meet our
:37:27. > :37:31.guests. Simon Wright and George Freeman. I want to talk first
:37:31. > :37:35.double with a quick word about this promise from greater Anglia, who
:37:35. > :37:38.are saying there will be fewer amounts of engineering work and
:37:38. > :37:44.less replacement buses at the weekends on the Norwich to London
:37:44. > :37:49.train lines. It is about time, isn't it? Great news. For years, it
:37:49. > :37:53.has been very unpopular amongst passengers. They paid for their
:37:53. > :37:57.train tickets and had to hop off the train half-break through their
:37:57. > :38:02.journey and on to a bus. It has deterred people from using the
:38:02. > :38:10.railways on Sundays. For those who travel to visit loved ones, friends
:38:10. > :38:15.and family, or have a nice day out, it has been unhelpful. This is good
:38:16. > :38:21.news. We had destroyed the weekend market. You have to take radical
:38:21. > :38:26.action. Do you think this will boost the economy? I drink it is
:38:26. > :38:32.great news. Train operators can only run as good a service as the
:38:32. > :38:38.track allows. -- I think. The eastern region has a fabulous
:38:38. > :38:46.future. People need fast rail links, good road links, a good air links.
:38:46. > :38:51.A welcome the fact the Government is extending the franchise to seven
:38:51. > :38:55.years. -- I welcome. Now to the fortunes of the Labour Party. The
:38:55. > :39:00.party has a lot to do in this region after losing all but two of
:39:00. > :39:05.its seats in the last election. It has poured more resources into
:39:05. > :39:14.these and has already chosen its candidate in key seats. Is it
:39:14. > :39:17.making a real difference? Earlier this month, members of the trade
:39:17. > :39:24.union movement gathered at Burston in Norfolk to commemorate a strike
:39:24. > :39:29.that it placed -- took place almost 100 years ago. These people have
:39:29. > :39:36.always been traditional supporters for Labour. Very few are happy with
:39:36. > :39:43.the direction the party is taking. They mock -- they are not moving
:39:43. > :39:49.towards working people, they are moving away from it. No pay freezes.
:39:49. > :39:54.Get a handle on utility prices. Get a handle on the pensions. They have
:39:54. > :40:00.made a good start recently. Some of the things they are doing... People
:40:00. > :40:06.are not aware of. It is a real privilege to speak here today to
:40:06. > :40:11.you all. The face of Labour is changing. Clive Lewis is the
:40:11. > :40:17.party's candidate for Norwich South. A formal -- a former journalist,
:40:17. > :40:22.who has only been actively involved in politics for the last few years.
:40:22. > :40:32.The party is changing. I am very happy with the direction Ed
:40:32. > :40:35.
:40:35. > :40:43.Miliband is taking the party. is another new face. She is
:40:43. > :40:49.standing in Norwich North. She is a former adviser to Tessa Jowell.
:40:49. > :40:56.Polly Billington, a former adviser to Ed Miliband, will fight back.
:40:56. > :41:00.bigger say hello to the students at the University. -- we will say
:41:01. > :41:08.hello. They are also electing former MPs to stand in seats they
:41:08. > :41:12.lost two years ago. Some people will say it proves Labour does not
:41:12. > :41:17.change. I think we did the right thing and and we should not
:41:17. > :41:20.apologise for it. If we understand that implement and people giving
:41:20. > :41:30.their homes is an important priority for any government, I hope
:41:30. > :41:34.
:41:34. > :41:39.we don't change. Bob Blizzard is To put it bluntly, you lost the
:41:39. > :41:44.seat last time. Why do you think you can win it this time? I know I
:41:44. > :41:49.lost it. I lost it narrowly. It was a horrible feeling. A lot of people
:41:49. > :41:53.who did not vote for me last time have talked to me and say they
:41:53. > :41:58.regretted it. They thought I would win anyway even though they did not
:41:58. > :42:03.vote. Labour says its membership has increased nationally by 30,000
:42:03. > :42:07.since the last election. We still do not know much about what the
:42:07. > :42:11.party stands for. Several candidates have said they are
:42:11. > :42:16.binding that frustrating. Earlier this week, Andrew Met Ed Miliband.
:42:17. > :42:22.He told him he will not count out the unions it and he does not
:42:23. > :42:27.support the idea of a general strike. I will make the decisions I
:42:27. > :42:31.think are right for the country. I'm not in favour of general
:42:31. > :42:38.strikes. That is not what we need in this country. I do not think
:42:38. > :42:44.that most union members think that. On pay, these are hard decisions.
:42:44. > :42:47.With Labour, it will be fair. Any tough settlements on pay make sure
:42:47. > :42:53.that low-paid and middle-income earners are protected and do better
:42:53. > :42:59.than higher earners. We want to put jobs as a priority. Part of the
:43:00. > :43:03.problem on this government is we have an economy that is not growing.
:43:04. > :43:09.There is an alternative to get growth going and get people back to
:43:09. > :43:13.work. Your strategy is to tell you need to win about eight to 10 seats
:43:13. > :43:19.in the east, places like Milton Keynes and Cambridge, if you want
:43:19. > :43:23.to form a government. Are you there yet? We are two-and-a-half years
:43:23. > :43:26.into a parliament. The British people are, I think, growing tired
:43:27. > :43:31.of a coalition government that promise change. Things are getting
:43:31. > :43:34.worse and not better. We will be showing them how we can make a
:43:35. > :43:39.difference to lives, when it comes to jobs and living standards.
:43:39. > :43:43.Energy bills is a big highlight of what we are talking about. How we
:43:43. > :43:48.can strengthen our economy. Improving skills for young people
:43:49. > :43:54.and making a difference to how banks serve small businesses. It
:43:54. > :43:59.must not just work for some people at the top of the society but work
:43:59. > :44:04.for everyone. Let me ask you about local issues. Airport expansion.
:44:04. > :44:09.Last time he said you were not for a second runway at Stansted. How
:44:09. > :44:14.about now? A commission has been set up by the Government. We will
:44:14. > :44:19.look to see if that works. Here are my principles. Unique to respect
:44:19. > :44:23.the environment. We have clear Climate Change targets. We have
:44:23. > :44:29.local environmental issues we need to face. Those must be respected.
:44:29. > :44:33.We should not rule out extra runway capacity in certain places. I am
:44:33. > :44:37.sceptical that he slowed but we should look at other places. We
:44:37. > :44:43.need to look at him by Mensa and business case. That is something we
:44:43. > :44:51.are doing and something we hope the review we have set up will also do.
:44:52. > :45:00.We are joined from the Labour Party conference by our correspondent. We
:45:00. > :45:07.heard Ed Miliband say he was not in favour of strikes. Are you? -- by
:45:07. > :45:12.the Labour MP for Luton South. people are being forced with their
:45:12. > :45:15.backs against the wall. It is not surprising for people to come out
:45:16. > :45:21.and fight this government all the more effectively. Let's speak about
:45:21. > :45:26.local issues. What about not ruling out his new runway at Stansted
:45:26. > :45:33.questionnaire you like to see more development at Luton. -- a new
:45:33. > :45:38.runway. We do support development at Stansted? I am an environment
:45:38. > :45:43.minister. For me, the priority is using the capacity we have got well.
:45:43. > :45:49.You mentioned Luton with its plans to go for 9 million to at 18
:45:49. > :45:53.million passengers. It is using existing capacity well. No
:45:53. > :45:57.additional ground works. Just using the capacity in the first place. If
:45:57. > :46:03.we can do that in the south-east, we can help with the broader
:46:03. > :46:08.capacity issue. Let's speak about the plight of Labour in the region.
:46:08. > :46:14.You represent 50% of Labour MPs in the east. What do you think needs
:46:14. > :46:19.to be done now to improve on that? This is now an annual occasion
:46:19. > :46:23.where I get to fill a state to support on the Labour Party. I
:46:23. > :46:30.would rather speak about the economy. What you want us to do to
:46:30. > :46:36.get us into government? -- what do you want? You want us to select
:46:36. > :46:40.great candidates. Andrew alluded to many of the great candidates we
:46:40. > :46:47.have selected. We need to deliver in terms of policy as well and
:46:47. > :46:53.paint a picture of the vision we have four hour country in the east.
:46:53. > :46:59.-- our country. The poll's a good but there are no clear policies.
:46:59. > :47:04.When will these come? The most important policy of all is to get
:47:04. > :47:10.the economy moving. That is why we said these Tory economic plans are
:47:10. > :47:14.causing so much pain and hassle. We point to the fact we're in the
:47:14. > :47:20.first double dip recession for 37 years. That is why the up in a
:47:20. > :47:24.deepening recession that we need to get out of. -- why we are in a
:47:24. > :47:27.deepening recession. Over the coming year, a year and a half, we
:47:27. > :47:37.will see more specific sum that as you realise the scale of the mess
:47:37. > :47:39.
:47:39. > :47:47.we have to clear up. -- the specifics that you realise. Could
:47:47. > :47:51.the latest addition to the windfarm family be the last? We now have
:47:51. > :48:00.four in the east. The Next Generation include the Plough and
:48:00. > :48:04.East Anglia the RAE. Critics say it is expensive. There is growing
:48:04. > :48:09.concern in the industry that future subsidies for wind power, to be set
:48:09. > :48:13.in the forthcoming energy bill, could be capped. The Crown Prince
:48:13. > :48:19.of Norway and the Cup -- the Climate Change Secretary arriving
:48:19. > :48:23.for the opening of the region's latest offshore wind farm. 88
:48:23. > :48:32.turbines off the Norfolk coast of Sheringham. The industry is
:48:32. > :48:38.becoming one of the region's major employers. On board, there is no
:48:38. > :48:43.time to be lost. The support boat needs urgent repairs. They had some
:48:43. > :48:48.halt damage which has had to be fixed. We have done quite a bit of
:48:48. > :48:53.electronic upgrade. We have 15 staff on windfarm work at the
:48:53. > :49:00.moment. That looks likely to be growing as well. The base at Great
:49:00. > :49:02.Yarmouth has just opened. It is a �1 million investment. Down the
:49:02. > :49:08.road, they are working flat-out building catamarans to service the
:49:08. > :49:16.wind farms. Three years ago, they employed for people. That has risen
:49:16. > :49:20.to 45. -- four people. We are redeveloping and changing our
:49:20. > :49:25.facilities. We're changing the service we offer. Hopefully the
:49:25. > :49:30.windfarm development will continue. Will it? Huge wind farms are
:49:30. > :49:33.planned in the coming years of the East Anglian coast. The industry is
:49:33. > :49:37.growing increasingly concerned that the enthusiasm of the Government
:49:37. > :49:42.for renewables is on the wane. The Treasury wants to cut subsidies
:49:42. > :49:46.paid to the industry. That, in turn, could put shut the cost of such
:49:46. > :49:50.huge investments. With the energy bill due before Parliament this
:49:50. > :49:54.autumn, leading figures within the Conservative Party a concern the
:49:54. > :50:00.Treasury is interfering, threatening the commitment to cut
:50:00. > :50:03.carbon emissions. It is not being given top priority by the
:50:03. > :50:09.Government. It is incredibly important for the future of our
:50:09. > :50:17.economy. There is a bit of an Inter departmental battle in Whitehall
:50:17. > :50:22.between the Department of Energy and the Treasury. -- if you want to
:50:22. > :50:27.improve the quality of life where you live, the vote blue and Grove
:50:27. > :50:32.Green. A far cry from the pledge by the Conservative Party to be the
:50:32. > :50:39.greenest government ever. industry based on subsidy always
:50:39. > :50:44.must be wary of a government changing its mind on providing that
:50:44. > :50:50.subsidy. The taxpayer pays all this money. The subsidy comes from tax
:50:50. > :50:55.payers and the energy produced is very expensive. One sure it is fair
:50:55. > :51:02.game. At the end of the day, offshore does produce energy that
:51:02. > :51:07.is twice as subsidised as onshore. Backing Great Yarmouth, business is
:51:07. > :51:12.buoyant. -- back in Great Yarmouth. Vessels are due to be built and
:51:12. > :51:17.maintained wind turbines. It has high hopes for a windfarm plant of
:51:17. > :51:21.East Anglia. What is needed from the Government is a long-term
:51:22. > :51:26.commitment. For the developers of that zone, I think it is absolutely
:51:26. > :51:32.vital that they have certainty of what they can expect from
:51:32. > :51:37.government. That is through to 2025 and beyond. The build period is
:51:37. > :51:41.eight years from 2015. The functional and operational period
:51:41. > :51:45.takes them and another 20 years beyond that. The renewable sector
:51:45. > :51:51.already employs thousands of people. Many more jobs right and the
:51:51. > :51:53.outcome of the political battle now under way at Westminster. Our
:51:53. > :51:59.political editor met up with the energy and Climate Change Secretary
:52:00. > :52:05.at the official opening of the Sheringham wind farm in Norfolk.
:52:05. > :52:09.She asked him whether the fight by the Chancellor to reduce subsidies,
:52:09. > :52:19.criticism from back fences that Windows too expensive and and I'm
:52:19. > :52:20.
:52:20. > :52:25.sure -- and I saw, has turned -- caused concern in the industry.
:52:25. > :52:30.lot of the media have made those comments. There is a lot of unity
:52:30. > :52:36.behind this in a government. I support helping develop gas fields.
:52:36. > :52:46.We need that gas for Aran Energy security. Gas is much cleaner than
:52:46. > :52:50.coal and a lot of electricity is produced from coal. I support this
:52:50. > :52:54.as the Liberal Democrat. It is not gas or renewables, it is gas and
:52:54. > :52:59.renewables. The next round of development will cost �100 billion.
:52:59. > :53:03.It has never been done before that deep and that far out with the
:53:03. > :53:07.bigger turbines. They were not get the investment they need without
:53:07. > :53:12.government support. Britain is seen as one of the best places in the
:53:12. > :53:15.whole world to invest in offshore wind. We have more installed
:53:15. > :53:19.working offshore wind farms than anywhere else in the world. We do
:53:19. > :53:24.have the huge potential, I think that is behind your question, of
:53:24. > :53:29.the Dogger Bank, the largest offshore wind farm in the world. We
:53:29. > :53:32.are putting in place policies to attract that investment. Be
:53:32. > :53:42.announced the review of the renewable obligations which
:53:42. > :53:42.
:53:42. > :53:46.supports offshore wind and 28 other renewable technologies. We announce
:53:46. > :53:50.that in July. Later this year, I will announce the energy bill and
:53:50. > :53:54.bringing it to Parliament, which will put him close the long-term
:53:54. > :53:58.framework for supporting all low- carbon technologies. We have a very
:53:58. > :54:05.ambitious framework. Industry is very supportive of the frame that
:54:05. > :54:11.we are doing. The message they have given me is, just get on with it.
:54:11. > :54:15.They folded in favour of gas exploitation. This could affect the
:54:15. > :54:20.Government's carbon reduction targets. Nick Clegg, meanwhile,
:54:20. > :54:25.says the need yellowed to make the Blues go green. Which is it? Are we
:54:25. > :54:30.pandering to the coalition or is there a risk? Ed Davey is not
:54:30. > :54:36.folding. He has always been clear that Gas has had an important part
:54:36. > :54:40.to play in the mix. We will lose one-fifth of our power generating
:54:40. > :54:46.capacity. That needs to be replaced. In the long term, our demand for
:54:46. > :54:50.electricity will increase and we need to bring capacity online. Gas
:54:50. > :55:00.has a very important role to play in the short to medium term. In the
:55:00. > :55:04.long term, in order to meet our targets, we need to see a D
:55:04. > :55:09.carbonised power-generation system. That is what the Lib Dem conference
:55:09. > :55:16.signed up to. They're both perfectly compatible. They are not
:55:16. > :55:21.pandering and there is not a risk? No. We need to invest in the whole
:55:21. > :55:28.package - the whole mix of power generation technologies need to be
:55:28. > :55:35.supported and invested in if we are to meet the targets of low-carbon
:55:35. > :55:41.energy. Enthusiasm for this vote blue, go green, it seems to be on
:55:41. > :55:46.the wane. The Treasury wants to cut subsidies. It could have a knock on
:55:47. > :55:54.effect to jobs in the east. We have under invested in our energy
:55:54. > :56:01.structure. In 13 years, Labour did nothing. We faced the demand to
:56:01. > :56:05.replace the renew the National Grid. -- we face. Also to renew 60% of
:56:05. > :56:08.our power stations. At the same time, all Ed Miliband did was
:56:08. > :56:15.signed us up to green turrets and leave us to deal with it. The
:56:15. > :56:22.Chancellor has said we need to generate a good -- energy security
:56:22. > :56:25.and clean green energy. The CBI has explained that green energy, at the
:56:25. > :56:32.moment, is driving growth in Britain. There are over 30 billion
:56:32. > :56:37.of GDP from the green economy. This is gross. The question of subsidies.
:56:37. > :56:43.What we inherited from Labour is appalling a framed subsidies. They
:56:43. > :56:48.start the market. As the cost of technology falls, so does the
:56:48. > :56:53.subsidy. What about the effect on jobs in the East? We have a huge
:56:53. > :56:56.role to play in green energy in terms of offshore wind and in terms
:56:56. > :57:02.of the University of East Anglia and the science and technology
:57:02. > :57:07.behind it. Wind is an expensive option - particularly offshore wind.
:57:07. > :57:15.We heard it was twice as expensive as the alternative. I am afraid
:57:15. > :57:19.George is talking at the top of his solar panel. -- out of the top. We
:57:19. > :57:29.set in place the framework. We are competing nations all around the
:57:29. > :57:31.
:57:31. > :57:34.world for the mess that we need to Green our economy. -- there is a
:57:34. > :57:40.lack of policy and clarity which means we are not getting the
:57:40. > :57:43.investment we need. Wind is an important part of the mix. If we do
:57:43. > :57:50.not have clear and consistent leadership from this government, we
:57:50. > :57:56.will not attract the mess and we require. What about the maths? Does
:57:56. > :58:00.that add up? Others are saying it is not feasible at this time.
:58:00. > :58:06.the moment we are borrowing to pay for the costs of economic failure.
:58:06. > :58:10.We need to invest. This is some of the tragedy and many of the cats.
:58:10. > :58:15.It has a chilling effect among the investor community. The minute we
:58:15. > :58:20.pay people to stay on the dole when we should be investing in the
:58:20. > :58:26.future. Can we afford it? We cannot afford not to direct. We have to
:58:26. > :58:33.make the transition. They are legally binding targets. It has
:58:33. > :58:38.been the only sector growing in this rubbish economy. Thank you.
:58:38. > :58:48.After the Lib Dem party conference, it is all yellow in the round-up of
:58:48. > :58:48.
:58:48. > :58:58.the week by Deborah McLaren in 60 Stone-clad scabbard over Brighton
:58:58. > :58:59.
:58:59. > :59:08.most of the week, admit warnings of a cold front among delegates. --
:59:08. > :59:14.storm clouds gathered. We have been very badly damaged. Also a motion
:59:14. > :59:20.to oppose huge runways in the east. It got huge support. A warm welcome
:59:20. > :59:28.to the Lib Dem candidate come standing in Milton Keynes. It is
:59:28. > :59:35.power in the Open. As opposed to the power of police austerities.
:59:35. > :59:39.Keep going and do not give up. advised to the party leader. The
:59:39. > :59:44.attempts of a revival taking things a little too far. We are halfway
:59:44. > :59:52.through the parliament and it is what happens at the final whistle