:00:35. > :00:39.It's Sunday Morning, and this is the Sunday Politics.
:00:40. > :00:42.Theresa May says she has no plans to increase tax levels,
:00:43. > :00:45.but refuses to repeat David Cameron's 2015 manifesto
:00:46. > :00:53.promise ruling out hikes in VAT, national insurance and income tax.
:00:54. > :00:56.The leaders of the EU's 27 member states unanimously
:00:57. > :01:00.agree their negotiating strategy for the upcoming Brexit talks, but
:01:01. > :01:10.And in the last of our series of interviews ahead of Thursday's
:01:11. > :01:14.local elections, I'll be talking to the leader of Plaid Cymru Leanne
:01:15. > :01:18.Here in the east, will the first elected regional mayor manage
:01:19. > :01:27.And tributes to our MPs ending their parliamentary careers.
:01:28. > :01:47.They hit an all-time low after coalition government,
:01:48. > :01:48.but are the Lib Dems poised to bounce back,
:01:49. > :01:54.And with me to analyse the week's politics,
:01:55. > :01:55.Isabel Oakeshott, Steve Richards, Tom Newton-Dunn.
:01:56. > :01:57.They'll be tweeting using the hashtag #bbcsp.
:01:58. > :02:00.So when Theresa May was interviewed just over an hour ago
:02:01. > :02:02.on The Andrew Marr Show, the Prime Minister was asked
:02:03. > :02:04.to confirm that she would repeat David Cameron's 2015 election
:02:05. > :02:06.promise not to raise VAT, national insurance and income tax
:02:07. > :02:11.We have absolutely no plans to increase the level of tax,
:02:12. > :02:14.but I'm also very clear that I don't want to make specific proposals
:02:15. > :02:17.on taxes unless I'm absolutely sure that I can deliver on those.
:02:18. > :02:20.But it is, would be my intention as a Conservative Government
:02:21. > :02:22.and a Conservative Prime Minister, to reduce the taxes
:02:23. > :02:31.The Tories like to have a clear tax message in elections, are they
:02:32. > :02:35.getting into a bit of a mess? That method wasn't clear, but does it
:02:36. > :02:40.mean, saying they have no plans to increase the level of tax? We are
:02:41. > :02:44.clear there will not be a rise in VAT, a lot of commentators will get
:02:45. > :02:49.overexcited about that, but there was no great expectations there
:02:50. > :02:54.would be a rise in VAT. Tempting as it is, because even one percentage
:02:55. > :02:58.point on VAT rate is 4.5 billion for the exchequer so it is tempting but
:02:59. > :03:06.there has been no speculation that would happen. We can see that she
:03:07. > :03:09.clearly wants to reiterate the language about hard-working families
:03:10. > :03:14.but I don't think we are that much the wiser. Even if she does not put
:03:15. > :03:19.up rates, according to projections the overall tax burden, as a
:03:20. > :03:24.percentage of GDP, is rising, will rise in the years ahead. That is why
:03:25. > :03:28.it was an odd phrase, I know she is doing it to be evasive but to say
:03:29. > :03:32.they have no plans to raise the general level of taxation, they do
:03:33. > :03:36.have. We also know they have specific plans because it was in the
:03:37. > :03:44.last budget, they had a tax rise which they had to revise, National
:03:45. > :03:51.Insurance rises, so very wisely in my view they are keeping options
:03:52. > :03:55.open, the 2015 tax-and-spend debate was a fantasy world, totally
:03:56. > :04:00.unrelated to the demands that would follow. They now have the
:04:01. > :04:04.flexibility, one of the arguments you had heard last time was Philip
:04:05. > :04:09.Hammond saying to her, we have to break away from the 2015 manifesto
:04:10. > :04:14.commitment and we can only do it this way, that is one of the better
:04:15. > :04:18.arguments. The Tories like to talk about tax cuts in elections, whether
:04:19. > :04:24.they do it is another matter, but they are not being allowed to talk
:04:25. > :04:29.about tax cuts, they are now on the defensive over whether they will
:04:30. > :04:32.raise taxes. That is not a healthy position for the campaign to be in.
:04:33. > :04:37.If you look at the numbers, quite frankly, if you will not do this at
:04:38. > :04:41.this election with eight 20 point lead over Labour, then when will you
:04:42. > :04:45.take these tough decisions? Reading between the lines of what Theresa
:04:46. > :04:49.May has said all over different broadcasters this morning, income
:04:50. > :04:52.tax will go down for low-income families, such as the threshold rise
:04:53. > :05:00.that microbes that was already factored in. She has had to commit
:05:01. > :05:03.to it again. VAT will be fat, national insurance contributions
:05:04. > :05:09.will go up. Do you think they will go up? I think so, she had plenty of
:05:10. > :05:16.opportunity to rule it out and she didn't. There was a terrible mess
:05:17. > :05:19.with the budget, it is a good tax argument but not a good electoral
:05:20. > :05:24.argument that you are eroding the base so heavily with people moving
:05:25. > :05:27.into self-employment that as you raise national insurance
:05:28. > :05:30.contributions for everybody but the self-employed, it is something the
:05:31. > :05:34.Treasury will have to look at. The other triple lock on pensions, we
:05:35. > :05:39.don't know if they will keep to that either? If they are sensible they
:05:40. > :05:42.will find a form of words to give them flexibility in that area as
:05:43. > :05:47.well. I would say there is no question over that, that has gone.
:05:48. > :05:51.As Mrs May would say, you will have to wait for the manifesto. That is
:05:52. > :05:55.what all the party leaders tell me! Labour have spent the weekend
:05:56. > :05:57.pushing their messages Speaking at a camapign rally
:05:58. > :06:00.in London yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn promised a Labour
:06:01. > :06:08.government would fix what he called People are fed up, fed up with not
:06:09. > :06:12.being able to get somewhere to live, fed up waiting for hospital
:06:13. > :06:17.appointments, fed up with 0-hours contracts, fed up with low pay, fed
:06:18. > :06:22.up with debt, fed up with not being able to get on in their lives
:06:23. > :06:25.because we have a system that is rigged against so many.
:06:26. > :06:27.I've been joined from Newcastle by Labour's elections
:06:28. > :06:29.and campaigns co-ordinator, Ian Lavery.
:06:30. > :06:40.Good morning. To deal with this rigged economy, as Mr Corbyn calls
:06:41. > :06:44.it, the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has a 20 point plan for
:06:45. > :06:48.workers out today. When you add up everything he plans to do to help
:06:49. > :06:53.workers, how much will it cost? The full costings, one thing I need to
:06:54. > :06:58.say at the very beginning, the costings of any policy which we have
:06:59. > :07:03.already ruled out and any policy we will be ruling out in the next few
:07:04. > :07:08.days and weeks will be fully costed in the manifesto and in addition to
:07:09. > :07:12.the fact that it will be fully costed, we will see it in the
:07:13. > :07:18.manifesto how indeed it has been funded, so we are very clear,
:07:19. > :07:21.anything we have seen already, and there are some exciting policy
:07:22. > :07:25.releases and there will be more in the future, anything we are going to
:07:26. > :07:29.do will be fully costed and in the manifesto. You announced a 20 point
:07:30. > :07:33.plan but cannot tell me what the costs will be this morning so at the
:07:34. > :07:38.moment it is a menu without prices? It is not a menu without prices, it
:07:39. > :07:43.is a fantastic opportunity. This 20 point plan is something which will
:07:44. > :07:48.transform the lives of millions of millions of people in the
:07:49. > :07:53.workplace... But what is the cost? It will be welcomed by many people
:07:54. > :07:56.across the UK. The fact the costings have not been released, you will
:07:57. > :08:02.have to be patient, it will be released very clearly, it will
:08:03. > :08:06.identify that in the manifesto. Let me come down to one of the points,
:08:07. > :08:11.the end of the public sector pay freeze. Can you give us any idea how
:08:12. > :08:14.much that will cost? The end of the public sector pay freeze, so
:08:15. > :08:21.important to the future of the Labour Party, it is an massive
:08:22. > :08:26.policy decision. Let me say at this stage, Theresa May, the Prime
:08:27. > :08:30.Minister, this morning, on The Andrew Marr Show, did not have the
:08:31. > :08:36.common decency, courtesy all respect to condone the fact that nurses, the
:08:37. > :08:41.heroes of the NHS, have had a reduction of nearly 14% in their
:08:42. > :08:45.wages since 2010 and are using food banks to feed themselves! Does that
:08:46. > :08:52.not say everything that is wrong with today's society? So can you
:08:53. > :08:56.tell me what it will cost, which is what my question was? What I will
:08:57. > :09:00.say is everything the Labour Party pledges, everything that we come out
:09:01. > :09:04.with, what we will roll out between now and the 8th of June, will be
:09:05. > :09:08.fully costed, people will be very much aware of how much the costings
:09:09. > :09:13.will be, where the funding will come from, when the manifesto is
:09:14. > :09:18.published. What about doubling paternity leave, nu minimum wage,
:09:19. > :09:29.four new bank holidays, any idea what it will
:09:30. > :09:32.cost? These are exciting new proposals and of course today cost
:09:33. > :09:35.money but we are the sixth richest economy in the world. It is about
:09:36. > :09:37.redistribution of the wealth we create. We are seeing growth in the
:09:38. > :09:41.economy, it is how we utilise the finances in the best way we possibly
:09:42. > :09:46.can for a fairer society for the many and not the few. You just can't
:09:47. > :09:52.tell me how much it will cost? That is why I will repeat again that you
:09:53. > :09:55.need to be very patient. Do you know the cost yourself? You are the head
:09:56. > :09:59.of the campaign, do you know the cost of these things yourself? I am
:10:00. > :10:04.very much aware of how much the costings are likely to be, they have
:10:05. > :10:09.been identified, they will be published in the manifesto. You
:10:10. > :10:14.really do understand I would not be releasing today, live on your show,
:10:15. > :10:19.any costings or predictions with regards the manifesto. Why not? You
:10:20. > :10:24.have released the policy, why not the cost? Because there is a fine
:10:25. > :10:27.detail and we will identify it to the general public in the manifesto.
:10:28. > :10:34.We not only explain how much it will cost but we will explain where the
:10:35. > :10:40.funding comes from. Be patient. Will some of the costs be met by
:10:41. > :10:44.increasing taxes? I would think at this point in time there is not any
:10:45. > :10:50.indication to increase basic taxes and again the taxes and spending of
:10:51. > :10:55.the Labour Government with the proposals of the 20 point plan, the
:10:56. > :11:02.issues we have got, housing, the NHS, crime, education will all be
:11:03. > :11:06.identified with the costings in the publication. Can you tell us this
:11:07. > :11:13.morning, we'll tax for most people rise or not to finance this? We in
:11:14. > :11:20.the Labour Party are looking to a fair tax system which will be
:11:21. > :11:25.clearly identified in the manifesto. Mr McDonnell also wants to ban all
:11:26. > :11:31.0-hours contracts. Would that include those who actually like
:11:32. > :11:34.those contracts? There are nearly 1 million, depending on which figured
:11:35. > :11:38.you'd use, there are nearly 1 million people on zero-hours
:11:39. > :11:43.contract and the vast proportion of those want to be able to live a
:11:44. > :11:49.decent life, a secure life, they want to understand whether they will
:11:50. > :11:53.be at work the next day, they're included hours... I understand a lot
:11:54. > :11:57.of people don't like zero-hours contract and your proposal will
:11:58. > :12:03.address that, but there are those, I saw one survey where 65% of people
:12:04. > :12:07.on zero-hours contract like the flexibility it gives them. Will you
:12:08. > :12:11.force them off zero-hours contract or if they like them will they
:12:12. > :12:15.continue with them? We will discuss it with employee is to make sure
:12:16. > :12:19.individuals in the workplace have the right to negotiate hours in that
:12:20. > :12:28.workplace. Guaranteed hours is very, very important. Zero-hour contracts
:12:29. > :12:31.are an instrument in which employers abuse and exploit mainly young
:12:32. > :12:37.people, mainly female people in the workplace. We would be banning
:12:38. > :12:42.zero-hour contract. But there are those, students for example, who
:12:43. > :12:46.like them, would they be forced off zero-hour contracts in your
:12:47. > :12:50.proposal? Our proposal would be banning zero-hour contract and
:12:51. > :12:55.introducing contracts which have set hours in the workplace. You also say
:12:56. > :12:59.no company will be able to bid for a public contract unless the boss
:13:00. > :13:04.earns no more than 20 times the lowest paid, or the average wage,
:13:05. > :13:08.I'm not quite sure which. What would happen if British Aerospace bids to
:13:09. > :13:14.build more joint strike Fighters and the boss is paid more than 20 times?
:13:15. > :13:21.I understand the point you raise but we have an obscene situation in this
:13:22. > :13:25.country, Andrew, in which the bosses at the very top make an absolute
:13:26. > :13:32.fortune... But what would happen then? Who would build joint strike
:13:33. > :13:36.Fighters... The difference in wages between the top earners in the
:13:37. > :13:42.country and the people in the factories, in the workshops,
:13:43. > :13:46.producing the goods, is vast. I understand that is the reason you
:13:47. > :13:51.want a ratio. What I am saying is, what happens if the ratio is
:13:52. > :13:56.greater? Who gets the contract if not British Aerospace? Who else
:13:57. > :14:03.builds the planes? We are going to introduce a wage rate CEO of one to
:14:04. > :14:06.20. -- wage ratio. We want to close the gap between the people at the
:14:07. > :14:10.very top and people who produce the goods. Let me try one more Time, who
:14:11. > :14:18.would build the joint strike fighter? We would look at the issue
:14:19. > :14:22.as it came along but the policy is clear... Can you name a single
:14:23. > :14:29.defence contractor weather boss' salary is less than 20 times average
:14:30. > :14:36.earnings? We are not reducing, we have rolled that out as part of this
:14:37. > :14:42.fantastic plan to transform society to get rid of discrimination, to try
:14:43. > :14:47.and bring together our communities. We will introduce a pay ratio of one
:14:48. > :14:49.to 20. Fair enough, thank you very much.
:14:50. > :14:52.It's a month after the triggering of Article 50, and EU leaders -
:14:53. > :14:55.with the exception of Britain - met in Brussels this weekend
:14:56. > :14:57.to agree their opening negotiating stance, to get the divorce
:14:58. > :15:13.It is inside this psychedelic chamber where Britain's 'Grexit'
:15:14. > :15:18.future will be decided over the next two years, but there is a vast gulf
:15:19. > :15:28.in rhetoric coming from the UK and the EU. With parallel narratives
:15:29. > :15:31.emerging for both sides. There is broad agreement that an orderly
:15:32. > :15:36.withdrawal is in the interests of both sides. But Theresa May's
:15:37. > :15:40.position is that the terms of our future trade deal should be
:15:41. > :15:44.negotiated alongside the terms of our divorce. Meanwhile the EU says
:15:45. > :15:51.the terms of the UK's exit must be decided before any discussion on a
:15:52. > :15:54.future trade deal can begin. But don't forget that divorce
:15:55. > :15:59.settlement. Don't remind me. In Brussels, many think written should
:16:00. > :16:02.pay even more, while in the UK ministers said the divorce bill
:16:03. > :16:08.should be capped at 3 billion. After you. Thank you.
:16:09. > :16:18.For are you looking forward to it? Isn't that divorce bill a bit high?
:16:19. > :16:24.Isn't this about punishing Britain? We are very united, you all seem so
:16:25. > :16:31.surprised but it's a fact. How soon can we get a deal? We have to wait
:16:32. > :16:36.for the elections. It was the decision of Mrs May. It took over an
:16:37. > :16:40.hour for the leaders to make their entrances but once inside it's just
:16:41. > :16:45.a few minutes to agree the negotiating guidelines. They set out
:16:46. > :16:49.three main areas. The first phase of talks on the divorce settlement will
:16:50. > :16:52.deal with the existing financial commitments to the EU, the Northern
:16:53. > :16:57.Ireland border and the rights of EU citizens in the UK. They said a UK
:16:58. > :17:02.trade agreement can be discussed when the first phase of talks
:17:03. > :17:06.reaches significant progress. And that there must be unity in the
:17:07. > :17:13.negotiations, that individual EU members won't negotiate separately
:17:14. > :17:17.with the UK. They are quite good here at negotiating because they are
:17:18. > :17:21.used to it. They set a maximum and then they have to recede a little
:17:22. > :17:27.bit depending on what the other side is prepared to offer. I think there
:17:28. > :17:30.is room for manoeuvre in some issues, but I don't think some of
:17:31. > :17:36.the baseline things will change that much. For example I don't think the
:17:37. > :17:40.European Union will concede on the rights of citizens who are already
:17:41. > :17:47.in the UK. It will be very difficult for them to accept that they will
:17:48. > :17:50.not be any exit bill, and the question of Northern Ireland is very
:17:51. > :17:54.important as well, the hard order question. The baseline things are
:17:55. > :17:59.not going to move that much, then you have room for manoeuvring
:18:00. > :18:03.between. On security, defence and the fight against terrorism, the
:18:04. > :18:07.guidelines said the EU stands ready to work together. And after lunch,
:18:08. > :18:12.friendly signs from some EU leaders as they gave individual press
:18:13. > :18:16.conferences. Paul and said the talks should open doors to new
:18:17. > :18:23.opportunities and even German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had
:18:24. > :18:25.earlier said some in Britain were deluded about Brexit, softened her
:18:26. > :18:30.tone saying there was no conspiracy against the UK. Unity was the
:18:31. > :18:35.buzzword at this summit and for once everybody seemed to be sticking to
:18:36. > :18:39.the script. That unity is not only amongst the 27 states, it's also
:18:40. > :18:44.among the institutions so many of the divisions we have seen in the
:18:45. > :18:48.past at European level do not exist. That is very important and it's not
:18:49. > :18:52.be unity that is directed somehow against the UK because I think we
:18:53. > :19:05.all want this to be an orderly process and part of that is that the
:19:06. > :19:08.EU side is unified. So although there are no surprises here, what
:19:09. > :19:12.took place in this room was a significant step towards the real
:19:13. > :19:17.Brexit negotiations which will begin soon after the general election in
:19:18. > :19:21.June, said to be the most complex the UK has faced in our lifetimes.
:19:22. > :19:27.Isabel, Steve and Tom are still with me.
:19:28. > :19:35.Isabel, doesn't the British media have to be a bit careful here? We
:19:36. > :19:39.would never take at face value anything a British politician tells
:19:40. > :19:43.us. We would question it, put it in context and wonder if they are
:19:44. > :19:47.bluffing, but we seem to take at face value anything a European
:19:48. > :19:52.politician says about these negotiations. You only have to look
:19:53. > :19:56.at the front page of the Sunday Times today to see that. They quoted
:19:57. > :20:01.at length Juncker, who didn't like the food at the reception and this
:20:02. > :20:05.and that, and I think the mood is very optimistic. The key thing is
:20:06. > :20:11.the EU trade Commissioner has said we will get a free trade deal and a
:20:12. > :20:14.lot of people seem to be wilfully ignoring that incredibly big
:20:15. > :20:20.concession. That is what will happen in their view. Everything that is
:20:21. > :20:25.said at the moment needs a slight rerun over. They are all in
:20:26. > :20:28.negotiating positions, plus we seem to be completely unaware that they
:20:29. > :20:34.all have their own domestic constituencies as well. Angela
:20:35. > :20:37.Merkel has an important election coming up in September,
:20:38. > :20:41.Euroscepticism is quite different from Britain of course, but there's
:20:42. > :20:45.a different kind of euro scepticism in Germany, she has got to deal with
:20:46. > :20:49.that. Of course she has, which is why you are right, nothing should be
:20:50. > :20:55.taken too seriously out of the mouths of British politicians or
:20:56. > :21:00.European politicians until October this year. We have got to wait for
:21:01. > :21:04.the French elections, then German elections, and if you look through
:21:05. > :21:09.this you can see a way forward. There's no trade talks until pay up,
:21:10. > :21:13.but what was actually written was no trade talks until we make
:21:14. > :21:17.significant progress on the money. You can define significant progress
:21:18. > :21:23.in a lot of ways but come December, fireworks over the summer, we all
:21:24. > :21:27.get very excited about it, in these chairs I'm sure, come December
:21:28. > :21:31.things will look a lot smoother. The German elections are at the end of
:21:32. > :21:34.September but I've seen reports in German press, depending how it goes
:21:35. > :21:41.it could take until Christmas before a new coalition government is put
:21:42. > :21:44.together. The Brussels long-standing negotiating tactic of nothing is
:21:45. > :21:49.agreed until everything is agreed, then I guess the British could say
:21:50. > :21:53.we agree a certain sum of money if that's what it takes but that
:21:54. > :21:59.depends on them, what good trade deal we get. If we don't get that,
:22:00. > :22:04.the sum of money is off the table. In that sense, the two are going
:22:05. > :22:08.parallel. However, I wouldn't entirely dismiss what people are
:22:09. > :22:14.saying in their pre-election periods to their own electorates because
:22:15. > :22:18.they have to some extent to deliver subsequently. Of course Angela
:22:19. > :22:22.Merkel is campaigning and electioneering, who wouldn't, she
:22:23. > :22:26.has a tough election to fight, but she is measured and thoughtful and
:22:27. > :22:30.when she says things like some of the British are delusional, that is
:22:31. > :22:37.unusually strong language for her. What was she referring to? I don't
:22:38. > :22:41.know, it wasn't specific. Have the cake and eat it perhaps the
:22:42. > :22:45.sequencing the British don't want. When they thought the British
:22:46. > :22:48.government was going to effectively demand membership of the single
:22:49. > :22:56.market, that's not going to happen now. Unless you sign up to the four
:22:57. > :23:01.pillars, that's the cake and eat it proposition, which they are right in
:23:02. > :23:06.saying Theresa May has made. But everybody has access, even with no
:23:07. > :23:15.deal you have access. The other side of it is I think there will be a
:23:16. > :23:22.united position from them. And so, as somebody pointed out in that
:23:23. > :23:29.report, they are experienced, tough negotiators, so I don't think it
:23:30. > :23:35.will be quite as easy as some think. I spoke to one of those who drew up
:23:36. > :23:38.Article 50 and they said to me they deliberately put this two year
:23:39. > :23:45.timetable in to make it impossible for anybody to think about leaving.
:23:46. > :23:48.This is really tight, this negotiation. Easy, it isn't.
:23:49. > :23:51.This coming Thursday, voters up and down the country
:23:52. > :23:53.will be going to the polls in this year's local elections.
:23:54. > :23:55.Over the past few weeks I've interviewed representatives
:23:56. > :23:57.of the Conservative Party, Labour, the Liberal Democrats,
:23:58. > :24:01.Today it's the turn of Plaid Cymru and the SNP.
:24:02. > :24:03.A little earlier I spoke Alex Salmond, who until 2014
:24:04. > :24:07.I started by asking him why Scots should vote SNP in local elections
:24:08. > :24:10.when the Scottish Government had just cut central Government funding
:24:11. > :24:26.It's actually a funding increase going into Scottish councils this
:24:27. > :24:29.year, and if you look at the funding position for example between
:24:30. > :24:33.Scottish councils and those in England, which are obviously
:24:34. > :24:37.directly related through the Barnett formula, the funding in Scotland has
:24:38. > :24:47.been incomparably better than that in England so there's a whole range
:24:48. > :24:50.of the -- of reasons... What's happening south of the border
:24:51. > :24:54.indicates the protection the Scottish Parliament has been able to
:24:55. > :24:59.put in that helps vital services in Scotland. But there hasn't been a
:25:00. > :25:03.funding increase, the block grant from Westminster to Edinburgh was
:25:04. > :25:10.increased by 1.5% in real terms but the grant to councils was cut by
:25:11. > :25:15.2.6%. It was going to be a cut of 330 million, the Greens got you to
:25:16. > :25:25.reduce it to 170 million but it is still a cut of 2.6%. Your own
:25:26. > :25:30.Aberdeenshire Council has had a cut to 391 million. You have cut the
:25:31. > :25:33.money to councils. Yes, but councils have available to them more
:25:34. > :25:39.resources this year, and as you say the budget increased that further
:25:40. > :25:41.which is why we put forward an excellent local government budget in
:25:42. > :25:48.Aberdeenshire and resisted a Tory attempts to knock ?3 million off...
:25:49. > :25:52.You asked me about Aberdeenshire, and Aberdeenshire has put forward a
:25:53. > :25:58.budget for investment expansion and resisted a Tory attempts to knock ?3
:25:59. > :26:01.million off the education budget, and I'm very grateful you have given
:26:02. > :26:07.me the opportunity to make that point. The Government in Edinburgh
:26:08. > :26:13.has cut the money to Aberdeenshire by ?11 million. It is a cut. But
:26:14. > :26:17.there is an investment budget in Aberdeenshire that has been made
:26:18. > :26:22.available by the ability to increase the council tax by 2.5% after a
:26:23. > :26:26.nine-year freeze in Scotland, and that has brought more resources into
:26:27. > :26:30.local government and that's why the butchered in Aberdeenshire has been
:26:31. > :26:35.an investment budget including protection of the education budget
:26:36. > :26:39.in the face of a Tory and liberal attempt to cut bit. You have to
:26:40. > :26:42.compare what is happening in Scotland and England, and there's no
:26:43. > :26:48.doubt Scottish local authorities have been much better funded than
:26:49. > :26:50.those in England over the last few years and that's been the ability of
:26:51. > :26:56.the Scottish Government to protect the services at local level. A good
:26:57. > :27:03.reason for voting SNP. If they have been so well funded, why after a
:27:04. > :27:10.decade of SNP rule do one in five Scottish pupils leave primary school
:27:11. > :27:14.functionally illiterate? You have got to take these things... Nicola
:27:15. > :27:19.Sturgeon has made it a top priority to address these challenges but
:27:20. > :27:23.let's take another statistic. 93% of Scottish kids are now emerging from
:27:24. > :27:30.school to positive destinations, that means to further education,
:27:31. > :27:36.apprenticeships or work. Why are one in five functionally illiterate? You
:27:37. > :27:41.argue one statistic, I'm arguing Scottish education is putting in
:27:42. > :27:46.some substantially good performances like the 93% going on to positive
:27:47. > :27:50.destinations. You can't have a failing education system if you have
:27:51. > :27:54.got that 93%, and incidentally a record low youth unemployment in
:27:55. > :27:59.Scotland without the second lowest unemployment rate in Europe. These
:28:00. > :28:04.pupils are being prepared by the Scottish education system. Let's
:28:05. > :28:08.take the figures in the round on education. It's so important. Under
:28:09. > :28:14.your watch, under your government, the Scottish schools in the most
:28:15. > :28:24.important global comparison have fallen from tenth to 19th in
:28:25. > :28:31.science, and 11 to 24th in maths, that is a record of decline and
:28:32. > :28:36.failure. That is by the OECD and first questions about that, but the
:28:37. > :28:41.OECD has also described Scotland is one of the best educated societies
:28:42. > :28:46.in the world. That was from the school system in previous years gone
:28:47. > :28:52.by. For those who are currently in Scottish schools, you have fallen
:28:53. > :28:55.from 11th to 24th in mathematics. The OECD was commenting on
:28:56. > :28:59.introduction of the new curriculum for excellence in which they have
:29:00. > :29:05.given a resounding thumbs up to it, and that's the same source as the
:29:06. > :29:09.rankings which you are comparing. Nicola Sturgeon has said there are
:29:10. > :29:12.challenges on Scottish education, particularly the access through the
:29:13. > :29:17.education system and the attainment gap but don't tell me it's failing
:29:18. > :29:20.when 55% of our pupils have gone on to higher education. That's one of
:29:21. > :29:27.the most impressive figures in the world. Why have you cut 4000
:29:28. > :29:31.teachers? The pupil numbers in Scotland have been falling over
:29:32. > :29:34.recent years as well and now of course we are increasing the number
:29:35. > :29:38.of people going through teachers training so we can make sure that
:29:39. > :29:43.number increases, but listen, the Scottish Government and Scottish
:29:44. > :29:48.Parliament, as you very well know, are subject to real terms spending
:29:49. > :29:51.cuts over the last few years and all public services have been under
:29:52. > :29:55.pressure. The main reason in terms of teacher numbers has been an
:29:56. > :29:59.attempt on the Scottish Government to protect the teacher pupil ratio,
:30:00. > :30:08.and that will now be enhanced by a further taker -- intake. You
:30:09. > :30:13.promised you would reduce primary class sizes to 18 and instead they
:30:14. > :30:19.are now 23.5 and rising. You broke that promise. You didn't mention
:30:20. > :30:23.where we started from. We have kept the teacher pupil ratio very solid
:30:24. > :30:28.in Scotland and that's been against a range of public expenditure cuts
:30:29. > :30:29.but the new intake of teachers into the new teacher training in Scotland
:30:30. > :30:40.I think will enhance the system. You have spent in the pasty in
:30:41. > :30:45.Hollywood 43 hours on Government time debating independence. How many
:30:46. > :30:50.hours have you debated education on Government time? I don't have that
:30:51. > :30:54.they get a hand... The answer is zero, you have spent zero-hours
:30:55. > :31:00.debating education on Government time. Isn't it time the SNP got back
:31:01. > :31:04.to concentrating on the day job? Andrew, as you very well know Nicola
:31:05. > :31:08.Sturgeon has identified a key priority, closing the attainment gap
:31:09. > :31:13.in Scottish education. That is exactly what she has done. Let me
:31:14. > :31:19.answer the question, it is difficult to be in a remote location, if you
:31:20. > :31:25.talk before I answer the question then the view was will not be able
:31:26. > :31:30.to listen. I let you answer that without saying a word. Is this
:31:31. > :31:34.general election about independence, as you say it is, or not about
:31:35. > :31:40.independence, as Mrs Sturgeon says it is? No, I have said exactly the
:31:41. > :31:44.same as Nicola Sturgeon on that. The issue what independence will be
:31:45. > :31:49.decided in a national referendum of the Scottish people. The mandate for
:31:50. > :31:53.that referendum was gained in last year's Scottish elections. What this
:31:54. > :31:56.election is about is backing the right of the Scottish parliament to
:31:57. > :31:59.exercise that mandate and also providing real opposition to this
:32:00. > :32:04.Tory Government and allowing the Scottish Parliament to reverse
:32:05. > :32:08.austerity and some of the public expenditure cutbacks you have been
:32:09. > :32:09.talking about, that is what this is about, backing our Scottish
:32:10. > :32:11.Parliament. Alex Salmond, speaking
:32:12. > :32:12.to me earlier. I'm now joined by the leader
:32:13. > :32:19.of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood. You accuse the Government of wanting
:32:20. > :32:24.an extreme Brexit, those are your words. What is the difference
:32:25. > :32:28.between hard Brexit and extreme Brexit? My concern is the way in
:32:29. > :32:32.which we leave the European Union could be very damaging to Wales if,
:32:33. > :32:36.for example, there are tariffs introduced then that would have a
:32:37. > :32:43.real impact in terms of Welsh jobs, and I want to make sure that we have
:32:44. > :32:46.a Brexit that doesn't cause the damage to Wales that could be
:32:47. > :32:52.caused. But what is the difference between extreme and hard? Anything
:32:53. > :32:55.that puts Welsh jobs at risk is either extreme or hard and
:32:56. > :32:59.unacceptable to Plaid Cymru, and we will do what we can to protect those
:33:00. > :33:04.jobs. You want Wales to remain a member of the single market even if
:33:05. > :33:09.the UK isn't, which would mean Wales having to accept the free movement
:33:10. > :33:20.of people, still being under the jurisdiction of the European Court,
:33:21. > :33:23.and you also want to stay in the customs union which means you could
:33:24. > :33:25.not do your own free trade deals. What is the difference between that
:33:26. > :33:27.and being a member of the European Union? We would be like Norway,
:33:28. > :33:30.outside the European Union and inside the single market. The key
:33:31. > :33:34.question is the issue of jobs and the ability to continue to trade.
:33:35. > :33:39.Wales exports, we are the biggest exporter in the whole of the UK, so
:33:40. > :33:47.there are many jobs reliant upon those goods being able to be sold to
:33:48. > :33:53.the single market. Is it central to the UK? Out of the four countries
:33:54. > :34:00.that make up the UK... Proportionally, yes. If you remain
:34:01. > :34:04.in the single market, it is hard to see how Wales could stay in the
:34:05. > :34:09.single market if the UK -- when the rest of the UK was not, you cite
:34:10. > :34:14.Norway, that has free movement, it has to be said, it effectively have
:34:15. > :34:18.to accept the jurisdiction of the European Court, it is not in the
:34:19. > :34:26.customs union so it can do some of its own free trade deals, but the
:34:27. > :34:30.Welsh people voted to leave. We have to accept the principle of free
:34:31. > :34:34.movement if there is not going to be a hard border between the north and
:34:35. > :34:38.south of Ireland. There is going to be free movement within Ireland and
:34:39. > :34:44.therefore freedom of movement, as we said in the referendum campaign,
:34:45. > :34:49.would be very, very difficult to rule out. You lost that campaign, as
:34:50. > :34:55.you know, Wales voted to leave, 17 Council areas voted to leave, only
:34:56. > :35:00.five voted to remain. Doesn't it explain why your party is going
:35:01. > :35:06.nowhere? A majority in Wales voted to leave but you effectively want to
:35:07. > :35:10.support that and de facto remain in the EU? I don't accept that, we
:35:11. > :35:16.accepted the result but Plaid Cymru now is about defending Wales. There
:35:17. > :35:20.are so many risks facing our people from the jobs perspective, the
:35:21. > :35:24.privatisation perspective, the cuts perspective, and from the fact that
:35:25. > :35:29.the Tories would like to grab power was back from our National Assembly,
:35:30. > :35:33.so the key point... If you look at the Wales bill that went through
:35:34. > :35:36.recently, the list of reserved powers there suggests there are some
:35:37. > :35:43.powers currently within the Welsh Assembly jurisdiction that would be
:35:44. > :35:48.dragged back. Which power was will Westminster take back? They could
:35:49. > :35:55.take powers back over the NHS, for example. There is no indication they
:35:56. > :36:04.want to do that. The Tories have attacked the Welsh NHS. That is my
:36:05. > :36:07.point! Quite viciously. If they increase their mandate, I wouldn't
:36:08. > :36:12.put it past them to try to take power was back over the NHS and then
:36:13. > :36:16.of course we risk our NHS being privatised though this election is
:36:17. > :36:19.all about defending Wales, protecting Welsh people from further
:36:20. > :36:24.privatisation and cuts and a power grab from the Tories. Why is there
:36:25. > :36:29.never a breakthrough for your party, Plaid Cymru? Labour dominated in
:36:30. > :36:33.Wales for years, the Tories do quite well, Ukip had a surge for a while,
:36:34. > :36:38.it looks like the Tories will have another surge, never you, always the
:36:39. > :36:41.bridesmaid, never the bride. Wait until Thursday and I think you will
:36:42. > :36:45.see that in many parts of Wales we will increase our representation at
:36:46. > :36:52.a local council level. In the Rhondda, where I am assembly member,
:36:53. > :36:59.we are looking to increase our representation... You are only 13%
:37:00. > :37:04.in the polls will stop which is half of even the Tories in Wales! If you
:37:05. > :37:10.don't breakthrough in the selection, if the real problem is going
:37:11. > :37:16.nowhere, do you think you will pack it in? Robert Green not, I have a
:37:17. > :37:20.job to do, a vision of Wales which is about building up our nation and
:37:21. > :37:24.standing on our own two feet and my job is not done yet. Thank you for
:37:25. > :37:28.being with us as part of your job, we will see how it goes on Thursday.
:37:29. > :37:30.It's just gone 11.35, you're watching the Sunday Politics.
:37:31. > :37:32.We say goodbye to viewers in Scotland who leave us now
:37:33. > :37:47.Welcome to Sunday Politics East, I'm Amelia Reynolds.
:37:48. > :37:54.The faces that will disappear from the green benches this election.
:37:55. > :37:56.I really don't want to retire and do nothing.
:37:57. > :38:05.I think I've still got challenges that I can face.
:38:06. > :38:13.not only in the county council elections
:38:14. > :38:15.but history will be made when the people of Cambridgeshire
:38:16. > :38:18.and Peterborough choose their first elected mayor.
:38:19. > :38:21.The mayor will have a multi-million pound budget and wide ranging
:38:22. > :38:29.Although Cambridge has one of the most highly qualified work
:38:30. > :38:33.there is still a serious skills shortage in the area.
:38:34. > :38:43.They are the workforce of the future beginning their careers in this
:38:44. > :38:48.These engineering students are actually apprentices.
:38:49. > :38:53.Earning while they learn, up to ?13,000 per year.
:38:54. > :39:01.That money has opened big doors for me, such
:39:02. > :39:04.Some people cannot afford to run a car.
:39:05. > :39:06.I'm currently having the time of my life.
:39:07. > :39:09.A few of my mates and other people mentioned about
:39:10. > :39:17.You develop and learn stuff easier if you wre a
:39:18. > :39:20.Not everyone can just look at a whiteboard and know
:39:21. > :39:23.While vocational courses are becoming more popular, more
:39:24. > :39:26.apprenticeships are needed to fuel Cambridgeshire's growth.
:39:27. > :39:28.The new mayor will have a designated budget
:39:29. > :39:31.to create more places but obstacles still remain.
:39:32. > :39:33.There is still an existing stigma around vocational
:39:34. > :39:36.and apprenticeship education as opposed to more traditional,
:39:37. > :39:39.academic routes such as A levels and university.
:39:40. > :39:49.The reality is that the opportunities that are open to
:39:50. > :39:51.apprentices and people who follow a vocational route are many and
:39:52. > :39:58.By creating a new, young, skilled labour force, it's hoped
:39:59. > :40:02.the new mayor will be able to strengthen local communities,
:40:03. > :40:02.keeping workers close to their homes.
:40:03. > :40:05.The College of West Anglia works alongside local businesses to
:40:06. > :40:08.pinpoint the type of labour that is needed and demand is growing.
:40:09. > :40:12.We have an ageing workforce and a lot
:40:13. > :40:21.We are expecting people to come in at the ground and be able
:40:22. > :40:23.to deliver what those people leaving at the
:40:24. > :40:26.other end of the business are leaving with.
:40:27. > :40:28.We are making sure that, by bringing apprenticeships
:40:29. > :40:30.into that business, we are giving them the opportunity to
:40:31. > :40:34.Not only themselves, but also the business.
:40:35. > :40:36.Closing the skills gap is fundamental to the
:40:37. > :40:37.success of businesses across Cambridgeshire.
:40:38. > :40:40.Not only is there a shortage of skills, there is a
:40:41. > :40:43.mismatch between the skills people have and what employers need.
:40:44. > :40:48.Places like the College of West Anglia are key
:40:49. > :40:52.Whoever's elected next week will have powers to
:40:53. > :40:54.kick-start a housing boom and improve roads
:40:55. > :41:03.What can a new mayor do for me or us?
:41:04. > :41:08.If they want to do something for me, let him come round and canvas for my
:41:09. > :41:18.For Wisbech especially, I think put a bit of money in.
:41:19. > :41:21.A lot of the shops you see, when they are empty,
:41:22. > :41:22.they turn into pound shops, charity shops.
:41:23. > :41:26.Basically, try and promote the town because it's just
:41:27. > :41:28.full of charity shops and building societies, property places.
:41:29. > :41:39.This ship has come in from Latvia this morning.
:41:40. > :41:43.As you see, we have started unloading.
:41:44. > :41:45.Hopefully we will be finished by tomorrow
:41:46. > :41:50.One of the companies that could benefit is
:41:51. > :41:54.People were laid off as the recession bit.
:41:55. > :41:56.Just one ship a month would need its cargo unloading.
:41:57. > :41:59.That figure has now jumped, with the port turning over
:42:00. > :42:03.A lot of the lads here are migrant workers from Eastern Europe.
:42:04. > :42:10.If it is a hard Brexit, it might give us a pretty big
:42:11. > :42:22.Especially on boat days where gear up threefold.
:42:23. > :42:25.I think it would be a great idea if we
:42:26. > :42:29.had some sort of apprenticeship scheme where we start from the
:42:30. > :42:30.bottom, work their way into a proper job.
:42:31. > :42:33.May the fourth will be an important day in history for the
:42:34. > :42:35.county as it awaits its first-ever mayor.
:42:36. > :42:38.A role that could have a very real stake in the future of
:42:39. > :42:44.Here with me are Chloe Smith, Conservative MP for Norwich North,
:42:45. > :42:46.and Daniel Zeichner, the Labour MP for Cambridge,
:42:47. > :42:50.which is at the heart of the devolution deal.
:42:51. > :42:56.Daniel Zeichner, what difference do you think the new mayor will make?
:42:57. > :43:03.I think there are two things. Cambridgeshire got a very good deal
:43:04. > :43:07.on housing from the governments. 500 new council homes. That is what
:43:08. > :43:12.makes it worth having for the people in Cambridge. The lady in Wisbech as
:43:13. > :43:15.what difference it makes to her, transport powers. We can take
:43:16. > :43:22.control of our local bosses. If they are run by private companies, the
:43:23. > :43:27.mayor has more control. Kevin Price, Labour candidate, promised me we
:43:28. > :43:33.will make those powers very useful. Not everyone else has. The people in
:43:34. > :43:39.Wisbech said there has not been a lot of engagement. Do people really
:43:40. > :43:42.want a mayor? Do they get it? From talking to people on doorsteps, most
:43:43. > :43:48.people don't fully understand it. It's a new concept of a new idea. I
:43:49. > :43:51.hope whoever is elected will make it work and it is important for local
:43:52. > :43:55.MPs like me to work with them and make it work.
:43:56. > :43:57.Chloe Smith, the whole devolution deal wasn't a success
:43:58. > :44:07.Well, it was a case of not being able to agree together. My personal
:44:08. > :44:09.view is that it could have been beneficial. Some of the points
:44:10. > :44:15.Daniel make stretch more widely across the east. Did you miss out?
:44:16. > :44:21.Assignment to be honest, the past is the past. I think many of these
:44:22. > :44:25.powers are things that might continue to be worked on. Norfolk, I
:44:26. > :44:30.will talk about my own neck of the woods. The transport issues for us
:44:31. > :44:31.are very vital. I continue to campaign around the great Eastern
:44:32. > :44:40.mainline. More on roads. It was illed as giving
:44:41. > :44:56.local people more say Well, before Daniel nods his head to
:44:57. > :45:01.that, I have to say, he just said this is a good thing for Cambridge.
:45:02. > :45:05.It is not bad to have this on offer. They batted the past, I'm not
:45:06. > :45:09.terribly dated up what has been said around Norfolk and Suffolk about
:45:10. > :45:14.this. The council had to make decisions, it is close to my home. I
:45:15. > :45:17.think it is a shame that a Labour-controlled Norwich City
:45:18. > :45:21.Council could not agree to play nicely with the others. I would like
:45:22. > :45:24.to see these issues return to discussion in Norfolk and Suffolk
:45:25. > :45:29.because I think there are important things hair that little bit would
:45:30. > :45:34.you want, such as greater transport links, some of the points are and
:45:35. > :45:40.housing and young people's jobs. Looking at the film and the skills
:45:41. > :45:45.gap, is that something a mayor could tackle? Yes. The problem at the
:45:46. > :45:48.moment is the skill system is in turmoil with the apprenticeship
:45:49. > :45:52.leading. There are some worries about funding for some of the
:45:53. > :45:58.providers. The mayor will need to get a grip on this very quickly. The
:45:59. > :46:01.bigger point about this is looking at post-Brexit, we will need so many
:46:02. > :46:06.people to be filling the loss of jobs. It is vital we get this done
:46:07. > :46:08.quickly. OK, more from both of you in just a minute.
:46:09. > :46:10.Now, it's not only the Government that
:46:11. > :46:14.general election but many faces from parliament, too.
:46:15. > :46:17.Former MPs who could be standing again include
:46:18. > :46:19.Sir Bob Russell in Colchester, Brian Binley in Northampton North
:46:20. > :46:23.But some of our most distinguished MPs
:46:24. > :46:27.After 34 years, the political career of former Social
:46:28. > :46:37.Hertfordshire MP Peter Lilley draws to a close.
:46:38. > :46:39.Does my right honourable friend realise I'm standing
:46:40. > :46:45.down after 34 years because of her?
:46:46. > :46:47.Because I have confidence that the country will be
:46:48. > :46:53.safe after the election under her strong and stable leadership.
:46:54. > :46:56.Another MP standing down this time is the former deputy speaker and
:46:57. > :46:57.member of Saffron Walden Sir Alan Hazlehurst.
:46:58. > :47:01.Can I first of all pay tribute to my right honourable
:47:02. > :47:03.friend for his service, not just to his constituents over
:47:04. > :47:06.the years but his service to his house when he
:47:07. > :47:16.took the chair as deputy speaker of this house.
:47:17. > :47:18.Speaker Bercow called former minister and Chelmsford MP
:47:19. > :47:20.Simon Burns to speak for the last time.
:47:21. > :47:22.In wishing the right honourable gentlemen all the best for the
:47:23. > :47:40.It has been a great honour to represent the people of Chelmsford
:47:41. > :47:45.here at the House of Commons and it has been a fascinating job.
:47:46. > :47:48.There have been highs, lows, high drama
:47:49. > :48:02.But also, there is the looking forward to future challenges.
:48:03. > :48:06.Northampton South MP David McIntosh has confirmed he is to go.
:48:07. > :48:09.As is the Brentwood MP, who earned this compliment from the
:48:10. > :48:17.Can I first of all pay tribute to my right honourable friend, my
:48:18. > :48:27.So, after 25 years in parliament the former Communities
:48:28. > :48:28.and Local Government Secretary is standing down.
:48:29. > :48:35.I spoke to Sir Eric Pickles earlier this week and asked
:48:36. > :48:41.him if he'd had to do much soul searching.
:48:42. > :48:46.Ten days ago, I had no idea that, tonight, they would be selecting
:48:47. > :48:49.I had decided that I had fought my last general
:48:50. > :48:53.election and I needed to decide whether I really wanted to do
:48:54. > :48:55.I decided that, in truth, I really didn't.
:48:56. > :48:59.Theresa May called you her chum this week.
:49:00. > :49:18.I was her deputy when we were in opposition.
:49:19. > :49:23.I think she's a great person to work with
:49:24. > :49:27.and I am really delighted in the way in which she has taken to the job of
:49:28. > :49:32.You say you are everyone's charm, after
:49:33. > :49:36.25 years, is it going to be the people you miss most, or what?
:49:37. > :49:48.I am going to miss that daily cameraderie and
:49:49. > :49:51.gossip that goes with being a Member of Parliament.
:49:52. > :49:56.Yesterday was a very emotional day for me when Parliament
:49:57. > :49:59.closed down and 25 years of your life is a long time,
:50:00. > :50:05.but I hope I'll keep in touch with people.
:50:06. > :50:13.In many ways, it is not the grandstanding, it is
:50:14. > :50:23.I clearly did a lot of things with regards to planning.
:50:24. > :50:28.I change the nature of housing, I reformed local governments
:50:29. > :50:31.Is there something that is niggling you now?
:50:32. > :50:34.Something you wish you had achieved or you had done?
:50:35. > :50:38.I feel like I put a lot of effort into weekly collections,
:50:39. > :50:42.I put a lot of effort into that, I put a lot of resources.
:50:43. > :50:43.I hoped that local authorities would rise to the
:50:44. > :50:46.occasion and I'm very pleased I live in an area that has
:50:47. > :50:49.In some places, fortnightly and monthly collections.
:50:50. > :50:52.It does seem to me that, unless you are prepared to provide
:50:53. > :50:54.a weekly collection, then in some way local
:50:55. > :51:07.Something else you have been connected to, the
:51:08. > :51:11.Looking back on that, it was criticised,
:51:12. > :51:16.A lot of money spent, perhaps not reaching the people it
:51:17. > :51:25.I thought the report, if I'm being very blunt, was
:51:26. > :51:28.premature and it seemed to me to be something to do with the sector
:51:29. > :51:31.I'm pleased to see police and fire, and health,
:51:32. > :51:33.and probation, and housing all working together.
:51:34. > :51:40.It just seems to me to have been just a little
:51:41. > :51:43.premature to make a judgment about that in a relatively small
:51:44. > :52:06.I remain in the Prime Minister's special envoy on
:52:07. > :52:12.That is actually quite a busy programme.
:52:13. > :52:18.We're building a new learning centre.
:52:19. > :52:26.I'm involved in getting goods and treasures back from the Nazis.
:52:27. > :52:36.I'm involved in spreading Holocaust education.
:52:37. > :52:38.I've been involved in anti-racist activities just about as
:52:39. > :52:41.long as I've been a member of the Conservative Party, and I'm looking
:52:42. > :52:46.forward to devoting an enormous amount of time to doing that.
:52:47. > :52:57.Sir Eric Pickles, thank you very much.
:52:58. > :52:59.And we're going to lose a lot more faces.
:53:00. > :53:02.No denying Labour are going into this election on the back foot.
:53:03. > :53:10.I'm not so sure about that. That is what pundits say, but not what it
:53:11. > :53:14.seems to be out on the street. You have seen people can misread the
:53:15. > :53:16.mood and I think it will be an interesting five or six weeks. This
:53:17. > :53:19.is a long campaign. Chloe Smith, when I was talking
:53:20. > :53:21.to Eric Pickles this week, his advice for fellow
:53:22. > :53:32.Conservatives was, Is that good advice? It is always
:53:33. > :53:37.good advice. Like many others across this region, high-value talking to
:53:38. > :53:42.my constituents as well. Daniel's part of Jeremy Corbyn's team and
:53:43. > :53:46.what we see nationally from that team is chaos and confusion. This is
:53:47. > :53:50.a large long and stable leadership at this election.
:53:51. > :54:04.No, this is about getting the best deal for Britain.
:54:05. > :54:07.But Theresa May kept saying she didn't want a general election.
:54:08. > :54:13.Well, we are now in that two-year period of negotiation for a good
:54:14. > :54:19.Brexit deal and this is about having a leader that can get a good deal.
:54:20. > :54:24.That will make a difference in fact towns, cities and counties across
:54:25. > :54:25.the east. We need the strength behind that leader to go and do
:54:26. > :54:27.that. Daniel Zeichner, five weeks to go
:54:28. > :54:39.and, locally, you haven't got They will all be in place. Don't we
:54:40. > :54:43.about that. That is not an issue. It is the repeated narrow mantra that
:54:44. > :54:47.is the problem being repeated by the Conservatives. You need something
:54:48. > :54:52.more subtle and sophisticated than just shouting to negotiate with
:54:53. > :54:57.Europe. Do you remember who won the war that John Major fought over
:54:58. > :55:02.beef? No, of course you don't. You need to look at the Plantier Starmer
:55:03. > :55:07.set out. That will get a good deal for Britain. -- Kier Starmer.
:55:08. > :55:09.Chloe Smith, Labour have already come up with plans
:55:10. > :55:18.Support for small businesses in this region.
:55:19. > :55:23.We haven't heard what policies are there for this
:55:24. > :55:32.I think this is Labour's seven different plans now. That is a
:55:33. > :55:37.measure of chaos and not a confident approach. You are not seeing a kind
:55:38. > :55:42.of unity that people want. You are seeing a coalition of that. What
:55:43. > :55:47.about this region? What are your policies? To reason may has been
:55:48. > :55:54.talking this morning about a better deal for workers in relation to
:55:55. > :55:57.pensions. -- Theresa May. You will see those plans in the manifesto and
:55:58. > :56:02.I'm sure we will come back and at once they are published. The other
:56:03. > :56:05.things that are important are things like transport links. If we can
:56:06. > :56:09.continue to have a strong economy and locking the growth that has been
:56:10. > :56:14.achieved their eye having a strong leader that will also go to Europe
:56:15. > :56:15.to get a good deal, then we can make a great deal of progress on those
:56:16. > :56:17.things for our region as well. Daniel Zeichner, realistically,
:56:18. > :56:27.what's the future looking I'm not denying, and the moment, it
:56:28. > :56:32.looks challenging. We have been here before. As people think hard about
:56:33. > :56:36.what their future life will be, they see petrol prices going up, prices
:56:37. > :56:40.rising in the shops, the health service under pressure and schools
:56:41. > :56:44.sending out begging letters. We are a rich country, we can do so much
:56:45. > :56:47.better than that. I had to stop you there.
:56:48. > :56:50.Time now for our 60 second political round up of the week,
:56:51. > :56:52.and Guess who's impressed with Essex man?
:56:53. > :57:00.Deborah McGurran has the answer and more.
:57:01. > :57:03.Clacton once again at the middle of a political storm
:57:04. > :57:08.Arron Banks turned up with a plan to fight the seat but, within hours,
:57:09. > :57:12.What I said the meeting was that Clacton is
:57:13. > :57:14.I will be financially supporting them whatever,
:57:15. > :57:21.The Conservative Euro MP Vicky Ford has been chosen to fight Chelmsford,
:57:22. > :57:25.following Sir Simon Burns' stepping down.
:57:26. > :57:28.The Liberal Democrats have Cambridge very firmly in their
:57:29. > :57:31.sights as leader Tim Farron turned up in the most marginal seat
:57:32. > :57:36.The opportunity of the British people and people in
:57:37. > :57:38.Cambridge is to change the direction of the country.
:57:39. > :57:41.Kettering MP Philip Hollobone will benefit from a
:57:42. > :57:43.Ukip pact not to field candidates against the pro-Brexit Tories.
:57:44. > :57:45.Ukip have also pledged not to stand against Peterborough's
:57:46. > :57:53.I don't think there will be very many instances of us standing
:57:54. > :57:59.And Jeremy Corbyn, on a visit to Harlow,
:58:00. > :58:04.I love Essex men and love Essex women, and I love Essex.
:58:05. > :58:32.In all honesty, I don't really care much for Ukip during this election.
:58:33. > :58:35.It is a question about Ukip candidates and what they want.
:58:36. > :58:41.Voters need to know what they want and I think that you would have just
:58:42. > :58:43.urge people to vote Conservative in the local general elections.
:58:44. > :58:45.Daniel Zeichner, do you support collaberations on the left
:58:46. > :58:59.Is that a good idea? I think you just trust voters to make the right
:59:00. > :59:04.choices. You cannot use them as pawns on a chessboard. The Ukip
:59:05. > :59:08.party has been captured by hardline Brexiteers and people need to know
:59:09. > :59:11.what that will mean for the future. It is the Conservative Party that is
:59:12. > :59:16.ironically more split many Labour Party.
:59:17. > :59:28.It need not go that way. It is about the national interest, getting a
:59:29. > :59:32.good deal from Europe and only trees reason may can deliver that. The
:59:33. > :59:39.rest is potentially a coalition of chaos about what you want. --
:59:40. > :59:45.Theresa May. Will people come vote, Daniel Zeichner? There was a lot of
:59:46. > :59:49.fatigue around elections. Do you trust a woman who tells you that
:59:50. > :59:54.there will not be a general election then completely, complete the
:59:55. > :00:01.promise? Do you listen to that? No. Then why listen to anything else she
:00:02. > :00:05.says? Will voter fatigue be an issue? Welcome myself, I want to
:00:06. > :00:10.talk to people out on the doorsteps, I enjoy that. That is what politics
:00:11. > :00:16.is all about. It is about working hard for your constituents and
:00:17. > :00:19.getting the best deal. Rather than packed and tactical voting? I agree
:00:20. > :00:22.with that. Thank you, both of you. We'll be back next week
:00:23. > :00:25.after the county councils elections and the results from
:00:26. > :00:27.that mayoral contest Hope you can join us
:00:28. > :00:35.for all the analysis on the results. actually give us a blank cheque and
:00:36. > :00:39.we will take the mandate that we want. To all three of you, thank
:00:40. > :00:52.you. Andrew, back to you. So, how will Thursday's local
:00:53. > :00:53.election results affect Who's winning the
:00:54. > :00:56.election ground war? And as he celebrates 100
:00:57. > :01:14.days in the White House, We have the local elections, Metro
:01:15. > :01:18.elections in Liverpool, greater Birmingham, West Midlands, how will
:01:19. > :01:22.they play into the general election? Significantly, it is very unusual.
:01:23. > :01:27.People keep comparing this with the election in 83, not! Margaret
:01:28. > :01:30.Thatcher was nervous and to wait until after the local elections to
:01:31. > :01:34.call the election to see the result. We are getting these result in the
:01:35. > :01:40.middle of an election campaign so it will be important, whoever does
:01:41. > :01:44.badly will suffer a dent in confidence in terms of how they
:01:45. > :01:48.approach the election and we are also going to have mayoral figures
:01:49. > :01:53.as a reminder of another big difference with the 80s that however
:01:54. > :01:57.big, say, the Conservatives win in Westminster, there are now sectors
:01:58. > :02:01.of power in other parts of the United Kingdom which were not there
:02:02. > :02:05.in the 80s. One of the reasons niches that are rated in 83 was
:02:06. > :02:11.memories were still alive in political circles of 1970, Wilson
:02:12. > :02:15.saw the local election results and thought, I can win, he was told he
:02:16. > :02:19.would win by the Economist magazine, who had done the analysis, and of
:02:20. > :02:27.course he lost, so that is why she waited, Mrs May does not need to
:02:28. > :02:30.wait for that at all now, and on the Metro elections, the one she will be
:02:31. > :02:34.looking at is the West Midlands, that is the one that is a
:02:35. > :02:38.competition. I think she can really lose on Thursday in the local
:02:39. > :02:42.elections, governing parties are supposed to take effect again,
:02:43. > :02:48.losing lots of council seats. She is projected to put on 100 or so seats,
:02:49. > :02:52.Labour projected to lose around 200, the first time the main opposition
:02:53. > :02:56.party has shed seats since something like 83 so clearly the local
:02:57. > :02:59.elections give Mrs May great momentum going into the general
:03:00. > :03:03.election campaign but there is a downside in that, which is what we
:03:04. > :03:08.have already heard fighting about this morning, if it looks like it is
:03:09. > :03:12.going too well for the Tories, it says to voters, why bother turning
:03:13. > :03:15.up? Sushi comes up with totally unbelievable sound bites this
:03:16. > :03:22.morning that this is the most important general election in her
:03:23. > :03:28.lifetime. Really?! For her it is! It always is until the next one! I
:03:29. > :03:33.wonder if voter turnout is a problem? Tory voters are more likely
:03:34. > :03:38.to vote than Labour voters. If there is a sense that it is all over bar
:03:39. > :03:42.the shouting, the overall turnout will be low that Tory voters are
:03:43. > :03:47.still likely to turn out more than Labour voters so she would still win
:03:48. > :03:51.some. I don't think she needs to be too worried, I think there will be a
:03:52. > :03:59.significantly low turnout, even I am finding it hard to be that excited
:04:00. > :04:02.about this general election. Really, the policies, we have spent a lot of
:04:03. > :04:07.time talking about them today and we have to examine them, but all this
:04:08. > :04:11.is about is, do you want Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn in Number Ten?
:04:12. > :04:15.Those are the only question is, apart from possibly how strong do
:04:16. > :04:20.you feel about Brexit, that will be on the voters' minds. You may say
:04:21. > :04:25.that but I will not be put off from going through a list of policies
:04:26. > :04:31.that we have already had in the last 24 hours. On the Conservatives, more
:04:32. > :04:38.powers to stop company bosses under pensions, of course Philip Green was
:04:39. > :04:43.in mind there. Labour has come up with quite a few policies, actually,
:04:44. > :04:53.give all work of equal rights, whether part-time or full-time,
:04:54. > :04:58.temporary or permanent. Ukip, scrap VAT or takeaway -- on takeaway food
:04:59. > :05:04.and end the BBC licence fee. The Liberal Democrats have come out
:05:05. > :05:11.posed to the runway at Heathrow. I thought I knew that already? Will
:05:12. > :05:17.any of these policies make a difference? They are all nice handy
:05:18. > :05:21.things that people quite liked but probably not, is the answer. They
:05:22. > :05:24.are an awful way away from polling day now for people to remember and
:05:25. > :05:30.latch onto. I don't think you make your mind up on small issues like
:05:31. > :05:33.Heathrow, unless you live in Richmond-upon-Thames, maybe, but the
:05:34. > :05:38.problem Labour have got with unfailing a lot of these retail type
:05:39. > :05:43.policies which, in themselves, are very popular, is no one will listen
:05:44. > :05:46.to them until they get over the leadership credibility issue. Jeremy
:05:47. > :05:49.Corbyn could the world on a stick, but if no one believes he can
:05:50. > :05:53.deliver it then he will not be listened to and he has not done much
:05:54. > :05:56.apart from a speech yesterday in which is claim to fame was getting
:05:57. > :06:02.arrested, I don't see how that would work for him getting to Number Ten.
:06:03. > :06:08.They are not making progress on it. Labour has rolled out a number of
:06:09. > :06:14.policies which, taken individually, would have certain traction in
:06:15. > :06:16.normal times, quite interesting ideas, this sense of unfairness, a
:06:17. > :06:22.feeling that ordinary workers have not done well out of the recovery,
:06:23. > :06:26.those who caused the crash have, 20 points, I went through some of them
:06:27. > :06:30.earlier, putting aside they are not costed, we are assured they will be.
:06:31. > :06:37.The problem I suggest is not the costing but the cut through? Every
:06:38. > :06:40.election has a context which is determined by opinion polls, however
:06:41. > :06:44.sceptical we are these days, and if one party is way ahead it is
:06:45. > :06:49.difficult for the other party to appear relevant, because if people
:06:50. > :06:54.assume they are not going to win, even some of its own MPs are saying,
:06:55. > :07:01.we are not going to win this, so you can vote for us, it is very hard to
:07:02. > :07:05.get attention and relevance. Where I think all the parties are bad with
:07:06. > :07:11.their current leaders is framing arguments, so those policies you
:07:12. > :07:14.have highlighted makes sense. The best leaders are brilliant framers
:07:15. > :07:20.of an argument and neither Theresa Maynor Jeremy Corbyn R. They have
:07:21. > :07:25.been campaigning, their manifestos are not out yet, both sides have
:07:26. > :07:28.been telling us we have to wait for costings, but it has not stopped
:07:29. > :07:33.them campaigning. Let's remind you of where they have been and what
:07:34. > :07:38.they have been doing so far. Let's start with Jeremy Corbyn, his
:07:39. > :07:42.first official visit was in the ultra-marginal Conservative seat of
:07:43. > :07:47.Croydon Central where the MP Gavin Barwell has a lead of just 165. That
:07:48. > :07:52.is not the only Conservative seat he has visited, along the way he popped
:07:53. > :07:58.in on Bristol North West, a Conservative majority of nearly
:07:59. > :08:05.5000. The Tory seat of Cardiff North, a lead of just over 2000,
:08:06. > :08:10.Warrington South, just over 2700, and Crewe and Nantwich, Tory
:08:11. > :08:16.majority of three and a half thousand. Yesterday he visited
:08:17. > :08:21.Bethnal greed and Bob, a Labour lead of 20 4000. Theresa May kicked off
:08:22. > :08:26.her campaign in Bolton, Labour majority of over 4000. On her way
:08:27. > :08:31.round the UK she had a comfy stop in her own maidenhead seat, where she
:08:32. > :08:34.is defending a majority of nearly 30,000, before travelling to other
:08:35. > :08:41.Labour marginals including Dudley North, a Labour lead of 4000.
:08:42. > :08:43.Bridgend, a lead of just under 2004 Labour, before becoming ambitious
:08:44. > :08:59.and visiting shadow minister Richard Bergen's Leeds East seat, which he
:09:00. > :09:01.won by over 12,500 votes. Yesterday she went north of the border to
:09:02. > :09:03.Aberdeenshire, where amongst other places she visited the SNP seat of
:09:04. > :09:05.West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, where the Tories would have to gain
:09:06. > :09:12.over 7000 votes to unseat the NP. What do you make of it all so far?
:09:13. > :09:16.It is remarkable she is doing these visits in Scotland. Past but even
:09:17. > :09:20.five years and the idea of a Tory Prime Minister going round Scotland
:09:21. > :09:25.would be utterly counter-productive, and actually they are ambitious for
:09:26. > :09:29.Scotland now under with Davidson, a prospect of multiple seats, and that
:09:30. > :09:32.would be a real genuine shift in Scottish politics, the likes of
:09:33. > :09:42.which we have not seen for 15 or 20 years. If she gets that, that helps
:09:43. > :09:46.towards 100 seats, because if she wins ten in Scotland, it is
:09:47. > :09:51.effectively 20, the SNP lose ten, she gains ten, she wants to do that
:09:52. > :09:56.in the Midlands with Labour, and the North. To get the 100 majority,
:09:57. > :10:01.other than Scotland, she has to win Labour seats, that is all that is
:10:02. > :10:05.there. And clearly she has been told, it is obvious, that she has a
:10:06. > :10:08.chance of doing so, otherwise you don't go to these parts of the
:10:09. > :10:14.country in the first few days of the campaign. All logic points to her
:10:15. > :10:18.being able to pull it off as well. The opinion polls, the state of the
:10:19. > :10:22.Labour Party. The only qualification I have in this is that politics is
:10:23. > :10:30.so wild and free Braille at the moment, it doesn't feel like
:10:31. > :10:35.landslide to rain. That is true, it doesn't. It is early days, we
:10:36. > :10:39.haven't yet had the manifestos, the campaign is yet to gather momentum.
:10:40. > :10:48.It doesn't feel like landslide territory. I disagree, look at every
:10:49. > :10:52.single poll, the Tory lead is 10% in Wales, you can see her picking up 20
:10:53. > :10:57.seat there. Put this together, I am told by the way she is going into
:10:58. > :11:02.traditional Labour heartland again tomorrow, the key is the Ukip vote.
:11:03. > :11:21.That will implode... Crumble towards Tories? If she can hoover that up
:11:22. > :11:22.and retain the Tory vote, she will have a majority of 150.
:11:23. > :11:23.I cannot let you go without reminding you that it is Donald
:11:24. > :11:23.Trump's 100 days. He's not making a lot of it now, this is what he said
:11:24. > :11:26.last night. We are just beginning in our fight
:11:27. > :11:29.to make America great again. Now, before we talk about my first
:11:30. > :11:38.100 days, which has been very exciting and very productive,
:11:39. > :11:42.let's rate the media's 100 days. Because, as you know,
:11:43. > :12:02.they are a disgrace. There you go, still bashing the
:12:03. > :12:07.media, that was at a rally in Virginia, the 100 days was last
:12:08. > :12:11.night. He seems happier campaigning than running the country. You each
:12:12. > :12:19.have 20 seconds to give me your board on the first 100 days.
:12:20. > :12:24.Remarkable, he will not stop slagging off the media but America
:12:25. > :12:28.first has not meant America first in terms of national policy, he has
:12:29. > :12:33.reneges on what he said about Nato being obsolete. He is moving from
:12:34. > :12:41.the old right to the centre because that is where you get things done,
:12:42. > :12:46.he is a pragmatist, also is about's friend Nigel Parrott is no longer
:12:47. > :12:52.welcome, we read this morning! Allegedly! He loves campaigning but
:12:53. > :12:55.finds governing much more difficult. Who would have thought being
:12:56. > :12:59.president of the United States was a difficult job?! He loves rallies but
:13:00. > :13:05.being president and politics is a very difficult thing indeed. Thank
:13:06. > :13:07.you, there we go, Mr Trump's 100 days, we will see what the next 100
:13:08. > :13:09.brings. The Daily Politics is back
:13:10. > :13:12.on BBC Two after the bank holiday on Tuesday at midday,
:13:13. > :13:14.with all the latest And I'll be back here
:13:15. > :13:18.on BBC One next Sunday Remember - if it's Sunday,
:13:19. > :14:24.it's the Sunday Politics. The East End girl who became the
:14:25. > :14:27.nation's favourite. We don't know what it is,
:14:28. > :14:32.but she definitely has... Something. From stage to screen
:14:33. > :14:37.and into our hearts. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
:14:38. > :14:44.Ooh, in't she wonderful? If you're not careful, you'll end up
:14:45. > :14:48.playing this sexy little blonde