26/02/2012 Sunday Politics London

Good afternoon. As we enter another big week for the controversial

health reforms is Labour scaremongering on NHS

privatisation? Andy Burnham joins us for our top story. In his first

major television interview since quitting the Cabinet, Liam Fox on

why George Osborne should depend on Tory policies to grow the economy

even if the Liberal Democrats don't like it. And that he does want to

return to government. That is the Sunday interview. Could Lords

reform be the unlikely issue that cracks the coalition? A Lib Dem

Lord and troublesome Tory backbencher go head to head. And

our political panel of the bright young things to analyse British

politics in the week ahead... And tweeting throughout the programme.

In London, the French Socialist presidential candidate comes to

town as the community prepares to vote for the first time for its own

All that coming up but first, the The Syrian government is holding a

referendum on a new constitution today despite continuing violence

in the country. Activists who have denounced the vote as a sham say

more than 80 people were killed yesterday, although this cannot be

independently verified. Incredibly, in a country Inter while, and

nationwide referendum on a brand new constitution -- in turmoil.

People voted that some of the more than 14,000 polling stations set up.

In places like Damascus it looked fairly normal. But in the country's

third biggest city, Homs, they are busy burying the dead from the

latest violence, it has been a battleground for months. The last

three weeks have seen massive bombardment of rebel districts like

for Baba Amr, for people here the referendums are a bad joke, it is

being promoted now to try to deflect mounting internal and

outside pressure. There is every possibility of a civil war. Outside

intervention would not prevent that, it would probably expedited. I

think as you try to play at every possible scenario there are many

bad ones. But President Assad seems confident that with backing from

Russia and China he can continue Russian defiance while holding out

promises of a democratic future which his critics just do not

believe. The first edition of the Sunday

version of the Sun newspaper hit the newsagents this morning. Rupert

Murdoch was on hand with the editor to oversee the first edition which

has a cover price of just 50p and it could spark a price war in the

Sunday tabloid market. I think he will keep the Sunday edition as 50p

for the foreseeable future, it will give it a strong footing in there

market, it does not look like competitors will compete. The

Mirror stayed full price which is hard on their editorial team, you

can see the Murdoch's real passion for Journalism shines through.

South African government has given more details of the besieged or

Nelson Mandela underwent yesterday. He underwent keyhole surgery to

insert a small camera to investigate her stomach pains.

South Africa's Defence Minister has said Mr Mandela is recovering well,

describing him as fine and handsome. Pakistani security forces have

started demolishing the compound where Osama Bin Laden was killed by

American forces last May. The country's authorities want the then

the site from becoming a shrine, it served as the Al-Qaeda leader's

hideout for more than five years. More news as 6:30pm later.

The government's bill to reform the NHS continues its troubled passage

through Parliament this week when the Lords will consider the most

controversial part, the bit that deals with expanding the role of

the private sector. Many of you have been ramping up the rhetoric

on that issue but are they scaremongering about plans to

privatise the NHS? Andy Burnham joins us. Is it Labour's claim that

the effect of the reforms will be the privatisation of the NHS?

this Bill is a break with 63 years of NHS history, it turns the NHS

into a market and that is why we are seeing such huge opposition

from patients and professionals who can see this bill for what it is. A

privatisation plan from the NHS. For example, the provision to allow

hospitals to charge up to 49% of their income from the treatment of

private patients, there is a requirement at the moment on

clinical commissioning groups to put three of their services out to

competitive tender and the whole bill will subject the NHS to the

full glare of European competition law. This is a huge break which is

why people are opposed. Competition is not the same as privatisation.

You introduced competition when Labour was in power, are you saying

this is the start of a process that will end in private hospitals,

private insurance and charges regardless of the ability to pay?

I'm quite clear this is a genie out of the bottle moment for the NHS.

It is not a continuation of what Labour was doing, if it was, we

would not be a bill that is three times longer than the bill that

establish the NHS. Charges regardless of the ability to pay?

am not saying it would change that at the moment but I am saying it is

a break with history. The reason professionals are so opposed to it

is because on the commissioning side it opens the door to the

widespread privatisation of commissioning and decision-making

in the NHS. That is a huge break, a huge change, which is why people

are so unhappy with this Bill. are you against doctors shopping

around and getting their patients the best deal, whether it is in the

NHS, or private? I am not. When I came back as shadow health

secretary and made an offer to the government. I said drop the Bill

and we will talk to you about giving doctors a greater role in

commissioning. I am not opposed to that and that was something we

introduced when we were in government. That would mean

competition. No, just giving conditions a greater role in

shaping services. It is a distraction from the real reform

the NHS needs. It needs service changed, not structural reform, we

need to provide services differ in communities, less done in hospitals,

more closer to home. That is the real reform the NHS needs. This

Bill, this top-down restructuring is a distraction from that, which

is why we oppose it. We need to integrate services, but instead of

integration this Bill will bring fragmentation. The BMA's balloting

doctors on on action on the planned pension reform, are you going to

back it? It is not for me to make any comment about whether I

support... He has it is! You are the shadow health secretary. I am

pleased doctors are not taking strike action that will damage

patients but these are matters for the BMA, they must make their own

decisions about their pensions. I do not want to see any action at

I do not see any action that would harm the interests of patients or

the NHS, people have to take the decisions they take to protect

pensions, but I am pleased the BMA said they would not sanction

anything that would harm patients are much jury has to be right.

Since Liam Fox left the Cabinet the former defence secretary has pretty

much kept his head down, until this week. He re-entered the political

fray with some forthright Budget advice for the Chancellor. Dr Fox's

resignation last October followed controversy over his friendship

with Adam Werritty, he apologised to the house for errors he made in

mixing his personal and professional life. I accept it was

a mistake to allow distinctions to be blurred between Wyatt -- my

professional responsibilities are my personal loyalty to a friend.

This week's piece for the Financial Times urged the Chancellor to take

radical action to stimulate growth. He called for a cut in employment

regulation to make it easier for businesses to hire and fire staff.

And further spending cuts to pay for a reduction in tax on

employment. George Osborne reportedly saw the article before

it was published and asked for no changes, but the real question is

whether Dr Fox's radical prescriptions can be stomached by

Nick Clegg and the Lib-Dems. The former defence secretary has not

given a major television interview since he left the government. Until

now. I spoke to him and our Westminster studio this morning. --

Why have you chosen to intervene now on the state of the British

economy? A As we approach the Budgett it has become a political

focus and I think it is important we return to concerts of financial

orthodoxy, talks about -- talk about living within our means and

recognise that we live in a competitive global economy and

there is not a choice between competing are not competing, the

choice is between competing and managed to climb. Is it also true

you're concerned about the lack of a concerted Conservative voice in

the run-up to the Budget to counter all the Lib Dem lobby? The Lib Dems

have been quite vocal in saying what they want. I don't blame them

for that, although I do not think it is necessarily the best way to

run a coalition, but I think it is important that the voices made

Clear -- voice is made clear the Conservatives are keen to compete

in the world, have a sustainable economic growth programme and that

is not possible unless we make it more possible for employers to take

on and to lay off staff. Don't you think people who think like you

need to get their act together? All the incoming missiles on the

Chancellor had been from the Lib Dem side. You have almost been a

lone voice on this. I would not quite agree with that but I think

the Conservatives have conducted their lobbying with the Chancellor

in private, there has been a lot of public lobbying by the Lib-Dems. It

is important to show the Conservative Party and the country

that there is an active campaign to try to persuade the Chancellor on

some of the issues that we would find important. The Conservatives

make up 56 of the coalition, not half. You have floated the idea of

making it easier to hire and fire people, to have a more liberal

labour market but your party could not even win an overall majority

for what you might regard as a bit of a milk and walk -- the milk and

These are the people who in the 1980s blocks every possible reform,

they are the same people who today would actually preserve the

benefits of those in work at the cost of those out of work. I think

the Conservatives in particular must take this moral case to the

left, the left are saying that those in work should have all their

labour market protections maintained, although social

benefits maintained, if that means keeping a generation out of work,

so what? That is acceptable. For the sake of the economy and the

well-being of the country and the UN people of the country, we have

to take on the trade unions, these vested interests and make sure we

have a more liberal approach to Labour. Are you sure it is just

union leaders who think your eyes on the inherent to unrepentant

Thatcherism, is there not a view among the lot of Conservatives

close to Cameron that they do not want to go down this road either?

The country needs to be given a frank debate. It is not a matter of

should be complete, or not? As if it is a choice. If we do not

compete we become irrelevant in the global context, we are less able to

export, to learn our way, we have to do it because the alternative...

I understand that but have you convinced your own side? You talk

about deregulating the labour market but the government already

has a blueprint for doing that. It does most of what you would want to

do. It has been sidelined, pigeon holed, kicked into the long grass.

That is an argument for bringing forward the case. I think we need

to argue that, we need to come back to the point I made that it is not

a choice, we cannot say we are comfortable with the political

compromise because that compromise might be detrimental to the

country's national interests. has David Cameron gone along with

it? There is an argument inside the coalition about it. I think we need

to constantly have that re-examined. When you said in the Financial

Times that "political objections have to be overridden on this

particular issue of labour market deregulation", can we be honest,

that is code for saying David Cameron should stand up to the Lib

Dems. It meant that the objections inside government and outside of it,

but yes, including the arguments put forward by coalition partners,

they need to be taken on and overridden, in my view, otherwise

we would come about managed decline It is not just David Cameron. The

argument needs to be made. should, including him. The it is

not just David Cameron. The whole Government needs to understand the

importance of this. The Commons that you referred to from the trade

union leaders, I find those interesting. What was regarded as

mainstream conservative orthodoxy for a very long time is now

regarded as something radical. It is not radical, it is common sense.

Do you think that David Cameron really agrees with you? I am sure

that David Cameron, having come from all the time that he spent in

the Conservative Party and all the history of the Conservative Party,

that he will fundamentally agree with those economic principles, as

will the Chancellor. But we face the difficulty of a coalition

government. It is important that those who are free to speak out

need to make the case, because the cases vital to our national

economic survival. Do you agree with what one Tory newspaper said

yesterday, and I think it is the view of a lot of your colleagues on

the backbenches, that the Conservatives are allowing the

Liberal Democrat tail to wag of the Tory dog? Among Conservative

activists there is the perception that the Liberal Democrats are far

more free to voice what they want and the Conservatives. They are

also getting their way on the issues you are speaking about?

on welfare for example there is a very conservative agenda that is

being followed. But there is a perception that some of the senior

Liberals are more free to voice what they want, and that is

important because the Conservatives who make-up more than half of the

coalition need to be reassured that the Conservative agenda at is being

fully implemented. Are you sure that the policies of a Cameron

government without Liberal Democrat restraint would be that different?

What if angels sat on pinheads, it is a game for academics? For the

price of not winning the election is a coalition. Without the

coalition we would be stuck with a socialist government giving us more

of the poison that has got us into this in the first place. At least

we are dealing with the welfare issue and social reforms. You said

that individual risk and effort were not been rewarded. Should the

50 pence rate of tax be cut in the Budget? I think that if it is

possible we should do it, but it is not the top priority. I would have

thought that the priority would be getting the cost of employers down,

so I would rather see any reduction in taxation on employers' taxation.

Would you strike a deal with the Liberal Democrats where the top

rate of tax was cut? We do not have the deficit because we are taxing

too little. We have a massive deficit because we are spending too

much. So you would not do a deal along those lines? I do not believe

we should be raising taxes. It has been several months since he

stepped down from government and you have had time to reflect on the

circumstances of your departure. Do you think the punishment fitted the

crime? I do not think it really matters. Things are what they are.

I used to say two patients, there is no point in complaining about

the air that you breathe. You have to make the best of it. Do you

think it is unlikely that you will be backing government this side of

the next election? It is a decision for the Prime Minister but I

haven't -- but I have a number of projects that I would like to

complete myself. But you would like to be back one day, I assume?

come into politics to make a difference, but there are different

ways of doing that. Should I take that as a yes? Yes. Simon Hughes,

Liam Fox sending a strong message to the Liberal Democrats, what is

your message to him? I thought his contribution was very measured and

he put his case. We need growth and businesses to expand, and we agree

with that. We need more people in work and opportunities for small

companies to grow, and the whole of the agenda that we are signed up to

it in the coalition in this country and in Europe, he is to make sure

that we exploit the Common Market. We should build up the corporate

and personal opportunities to earn money. People should have more in

their pockets to spend. He thinks you are acting as if you are half

of the coalition? I do not think that you can see things as simply

as that in the coalition. But you have? With the Conservative Party,

we made a majority, but we would not have made a majority with

Labour. We were looking at the national interest. We were looking

at Greece across the water. We are determined, and this is the set of

Budget questions that you ask him, and I think about my colleagues

when I speak all the time, that my ordinary constituents get a better

deal. There is an opinion poll today that makes it clear it that

people fear over the next year that they will have left to -- they will

have less to spend on the normal things in life. We want millions of

people to have more in their pockets. That is why we want to

lift the personal allowance up to �10,000. On the dynamics of the

coalition, Liam Fox is complaining about the fact that you undermined

the support for the coalition by constantly grandstanding in public

for policies, rather than by a lobbying behind closed doors, which

is what happens in most European coalition governments?

arrangement is identical. Our parties are entitled to put their

case to the country. This is the first coalition since after the war.

But you're always grandstanding on public occasions? Why do you not do

things privately? Let me finish. We should make our case as a political

party. At the end of the day the decision on the budget is taken by

the Chancellor. As a party, we are very clear that the priority should

be lifting taxes. Independent evidence, not our own internal work,

it shows that the best way to achieve growth is to lift the

personal allowance and give more people money in their hands to

spend. It is nothing to do with property taxes, it is lifting the

tax burden. If the Chancellor was to take more people out of tax,

something along those lines, would you want a cut in the 50 pence top

rate? The coalition, it is clear, the coalition was signed...

Coalition does not speak about property taxes and going faster

than the agreement? Wheat used sanction a top rate for these

things were done at the other end? I do not think that reducing the

top rate is the thing to do. This is a decision for the Chancellor.

am asking for your opinion. manifesto was clear. Lift the

personal allowance to �10,000, the most important thing affecting 20

million people. Secondly, a mansion tax. I represent people who are

solid, working-class people, and what they are concerned about is

what is happening to ordinary people who are out of work.

Health Bill is backing the Lords now, and it is the biggest issue in

Parliament. Shaded the chapter on competition be dropped altogether?

No. I listen to you're interview with Andy Burnham and he avoided

the issue entirely. This does not change the nature of the NHS. It

keeps the basis that it is paid for by taxpayers. Labour enforced

privatisation. That is in part three. We will deal with that, but

there are also amendments from our colleagues in the Lords that will

make sure that we are not subject to European competition law and we

do not have limits for private practice. Watch this space. You

will see a bill that will protect the NHS. The coalition government

has had its fair share of controversies, tuition fees, the AV

referendum, and the controversial NHS bill. So far it has survived

them all, if a little tattered at the edges. But could the future of

the coalition be at risk over the more obscure matter of Lords

reform? It is a tradition that down the

centuries almost as old as the place and its inhabitants, that as

long as there has been a House of Lords there have been arguments for

its reform. My Lords, pray be seated. This upper chamber of 829

appointed and hereditary peers is facing a radical challenge from the

coalition, driven by Nick Clegg, who wants 300 elected peers.

Prime Minister and dire clear that we want the first elections to the

reformed upper chamber to take place in 2015. While we know what

we want to achieve, we are open- minded about how we get there.

Whatever flexibility they is, those elections would be under

proportional representation and would change the relationship

between the two houses, disastrously say opponents,

correctly say the Lib Dems. House of Lords reform was in the

manifestos of all three major political parties. But for the

Liberal Democrats, this is in our DNA, it is unfinished business.

difficulties with four -- with reforming the House of Lords is

that it crystallises the differences between the coalition

members. The Liberal-Democrats want to demonstrate that they can

deliver this in government. They need this and that is part of the

problem for some Tory backbenchers. Tory MPs will be worried that the

electoral reform that Nick Clegg failed to get in the AV referendum

will come through the back door in the House of Lords. Tory MPs will

be worried that this will reduce the size of the Commons on which

the Tories are relying upon for a majority next time around. This

could turn into a slow-motion horror story for the Government.

And number of Conservative backbenchers have told us that they

will rebel on this issue, but they are keen to deny being

troublemakers. We would be neglecting our duty if we did not

speak up, but it is hard to see what the good days in these reforms

are to run the table. Whether you believe in an elected House of

Lords are not, these reforms are problematic. Joining me are Matthew

Oakeshott and Conservative backbencher Philip Davies.

You want to change this historic British institution, so what is

your pitch? It is undemocratic to have a chamber of parliament were

the basis of sitting in it is whether you're a great, great

grandfather shared Nell Gwyn with King Charles. There are not many

hereditary peers now? There are 92. Also, as all three parties said in

their general election manifestos and the coalition agreement, we

believe it is time to move to a mainly elected second chamber.

Philip Davies, it makes laws on our behalf but we have no say in who is

in it, it is undemocratic? It is ironic that the Liberal Democrat

say it is a matter of principle that people over are not elected

should not be able to make lots. The European Commission has the

power to make laws in this country and the Liberal Democrats are all

Let's get back to the Lords. In the House of Lords we have a minute

scientists, lawyers, cabinet ministers, business people, people

from the charitable sector, it is largely a portion at -- proportion

it. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds. I do not think

Phillip sits in the Lords and sees what it is like. There are many

people with experience but a lot of it is a long time ago and it is

undemocratic, wrong in principle, why did all three party so they

were in favour of reforming it at the last election and making it

main elected? We have to stick to it. Our coalition agreement, Philip,

which you may not be interested in, says we will establish a committee

to bring forward proposals for a wholly elected chamber on the basis

of proportional representation. Let me give you this so you can read it

and remember it because this is what you signed up for. If you go

back on that deal I can assure you you will not find Lib-Dems in

parliament keen to vote for redistribution. If you want a

fight... You made your point, Philip Davies. I voted against that

bill as well. It would not bother me if they stuck to it, or not. I

was elected by the people in Shipley before there was any

coalition agreement. I did not sign up to that. I was not elected on it.

You were elected on a Conservative manifesto which also said it.

have about 200 crossbenchers, independent people in the House of

Lords, you would not get that in an elected second chamber. When people

complain to me about Parliament in my constituency they never complain

about the House of Lords, it tends to be the House of Commons they

complain about and why would we want to turn the House of Lords

into a poor man's House of Commons, it is beyond me. Isn't the problem

that within an elected chamber it would rival the Commons rather than

feel subservient to it? I don't think so. There is no reason why

should not be revising and scrutinising chamber with the same

powers it has at the moment. We have a lot of work to do in the

Lords because the Commons is so partisan and guillotine and be get

We are talking about long terms fixed so people are not subject to

whips. If you don't agree with the coalition agreement, which you

obviously don't, your own manifesto you stood on said it was in favour

of an elected House of Lords. There was a democratic mandate for this.

I could not hand-pick and agree with them about everything. When I

was knocking on doors in Shipley I did not come across anybody who

said I will only vote for you if you reform the House of Lords. To

suggest that would be nonsense. saying we must have changed

constituency boundaries? Your proposed reform would put people

elected into the Lords for 15 year terms, they would all be nominated

by the parties, that is probably where they failed in government,

that is real jobs for the boys. That is the point of proportional

representation. We are in favour of openness where people can decide.

Somebody like Philip who was well- known in Yorkshire would have a

good chance of getting it to the Lords. Would you vote against Lords

reform? Absolutely. So you'll be fighting the election on the old

boundaries. If the Tories do not deliver on Lords reform you think

the Lib Dems will oppose the boundary changes? I think we will

not be wanting to put that through if they go back on the other half

of a deal. That means the coalition is fractured. Are would rather

debate the issue of the House of Lords on its merits rather than

some kind of petulant threat about... You'd Tories can headband

us but you never get away from Europe! If Philip and his friends

persist in these tactics it will make it very difficult. We are here

to implement a coalition agreement and stick to it and I am afraid we

don't like a lot of it but we swallow it up and the Conservatives

must do the same. Lord Opie shot complain to the House of Commons is

so parties and that he wants to turn the House of Lords into an

equally partisan chamber -- Lord Opie shot. I don't think he will

crack the coalition. The Lib Dems are about 8% of the opinion polls,

if they want to run away from the coalition to fight a general

election I think we would be happy to fight that. We have to leave it

Coming up... I look at the week The French Socialist presidential

kaput -- candidate visits next week. But first, let's say hello to our

MPs. Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North and Shadow

Education Minister and the Liberal Democrat for Carshalton and

Warrington. The mayoral contest could of probably this week with

the first hustings. The candidates together for the first time in four

years. The beginning of the campaign before an audience of

elderly people and most people seem to think that your man came out on

top. I think he was, by consensus the winner. I think it surprised

Boris who is normally the kind of guy who wins on the quips and the

light touch. Does it surprise you? Not at all. In the end, came won a

handsome victory in 20021004 because of the character hears,

relaxed, funny and he knows his stuff. Waugh was interesting about

the hustings was the motif I think we will now see running through

until May, the pressure that will be on Boris not being a full-time

mayor, not being able to manage a �140,000 as a salary, and this

campaign to encourage him not to carry on learning quarter of a

million a year from the Telegraph. Tom, it is really hard to get away

from asking this question... How does Brian Paddick muscle in on

this race which looks to so many as being two horse? I suppose this

hustings was the first chance where Brian was sharing the panel so that

will automatically give him profile which so far he has struggled to

achieve because the media have tried to play this simply as a two

man campaign. He was appealing to the interests and concerns of the

Senior citizens in the audience around the fear of crime and also

being able to reinforce the message that the Freedom Pass is here to

stay and Brian will appoint a deputy to deal with that. They were

not going to go before that audience saying they would not do

that! That would be a brave candidate. So on the Beales who

threw her hat into the mayoral ring this week was an independent

candidate, a former civil servant whose campaign was backed by her

own boss, GUS, -- Gus O'Donnell. There are more independent

candidates giving it a go. Who does she need to target? The obvious

vote to aim for was the one targeted by major candidates this

week which is the older voters. The older you are, the more likely your

to vote, so she is strong on young people but actually the people you

need to get out to vote a people aged 40 up boards. She has to aim

something at them. -- upwards. You're mad, I think she needs to

get across the message to be fed up middle, people who think it is all

the same, we don't normally vote, that this would be a chance to kick

the political establishment and show there can be a change and get

What intrigues me is of what is it that in -- motivates an individual

like you, do you wake up one morning and decide that is what I

want to do? Become London mayor? There are many reasons why you make

a life-changing decision like that but I do remember going into work

one day in October thinking if I am going to do this today is that they

have to write my resignation letter and had it in. So you left your

civil-service job to do this? Positive MACRO. Why is this the

next stage? -- yes. You are aiming high. I am but I am part of that

big group in the middle which is tired of the same old. I am tired

of having the same tired old candidates running in the selection.

I think an independent, non-party political mayor would be better for

London because they will stay focused on the job and not get

distracted like Ken and Boris always do with all that party

political baggage. Isn't the key ingredient about an independent

candidate, and one of the things Tony Blair said when he created

this model hoped would happen, that big business figures would come

forward, they needed a certain amount of recognition, a Branson

figure, or Lord Allen should off the telly. I would say my

credentials speak for themselves. 15 years at the heart of government,

I know how things get done, how you bring government departments

together, the groups and organisations that actually work

together to make things happen, unlike Cannes and Boris, but other

candidates, I can be a person that brings groups together who won

normally divided by party politics. I think Ken and borrowers are quite

decisive with their gas, insults, they are pulling communities apart

and the Mayor of London should be a positive role model bringing people

together. That is not what we have. Have you been a member of a

political party? Know. A can you tell us which way you voted in the

last election -- no. Can you tell us which we voted in the last

election? The last one I voted for Some would say you have Boris

Johnson with a huge recognition factor for the Conservatives, Ken

Livingstone who is so associated with London politics, an ex-police

officer, the Greens offering alternatives on transport, there is

a big choice. I have huge respect for people who put themselves

forward into public of this. Some of them have done good things for

London but when I look at the range of candidates we have, they do not

represent a fantastic diversity of London. I am saying now was the

moment, people are so turned off with party politics, this is the

moment to get new voices into the campaign. I congratulate you on

pitching to do it. It is a brave thing to do, it is good to have a

range of candidates. But I think the idea that somebody can really

run for, or do a serious political job without being political is kind

of missing the point. It is a political job which requires a

The grim truth is you will be squeezed out of it because that is

not how politics operates. individuals use this platform to

say they want to offer a message, are they really contributing new

aspects to the debate? I welcome fact she Vaughan is standing, we

will have to see if she is offering something new. If she is putting

the emphasis on community then I would argue that Bryan, put it to

the work he did as a Senior police -- police officer in Brixton,

bringing together communities which felt under the cosh, then I think

he has demonstrated he has the community commitment. Voters might

have a serious look at somebody who knows the organs of government, has

major backers. I am not saying it does not need to be political, it

does, but not party political. When you look at how the assembly works

it is completely dysfunctional so I would say we need something new,

different, but that does not get bogged down in party politics.

is all we have time for on that. You can find a full list of

candidates standing in those elections on the BBC London website.

More to come on that contest in the weeks to come, not so much on this

one. London is now officially on the French electoral map. In June

French people living he will be voting in elections for their very

own deputy for northern Europe. It is one of the reason Socialist

presidential candidate hits our The 7th largest French city is not

in France. The population is thought to be more than certain

80% of my clients are French, or attend a French school, or work for

Why not pop round the corner and by French political literature in the

local bookshop? The capital is set to become an unlikely battleground

in this year's French elections. French people who live abroad will

be able to vote for MPs that represent foreign constituencies.

Because there are so many French people in London, in one of these,

northern Europe, it is thought that half of the people live in his

constituency. This is one of the candidates. She's campaigning on

issues where the French government's decisions have a

direct impact on life in the capital, such as the provision of

French deals. The school around the corner is full. There is not enough

space. You have more people coming here, but they cannot accommodate

the brand new people. It is a big issue for London. The capital's

role in the French election is about more than local issues in

London. Next week this man, Francois Hollande, will be paying a

visit. The Socialist candidate is currently the bookies' favourite to

be, the most powerful man in France. But according to this correspondent,

the visit may be less for the people in the capital and more for

the people back home. It is important for him to have an

international stature as a candidate, and London is a very

important symbol because he has been keen on attacking the finance

industry in the past. Maybe he has to make-up for that a little bit

too sure that he is not anti Finance, like he appeared to be. He

is designated that way by his opponents. Whatever message he

chooses to bring next week, Francois Hollande will be reminded

of one quote from earlier this year. My true adversary does not have a

name, face of a party, he did not put for work his candidacy, but

nevertheless, I see governs. My true adversary is the world of

finance. If he takes the fight to the world of finance back home in

France, could London proved to be the winner? If the brand new French

president was to introduce measures that were seriously damaging to our

financial services in France, then Paris's loss to dwell the London's

again. We will be keeping a keen eye on what happens. In 2007 when

Nicolas Sarkozy was just a presidential candidate he chose the

capital as his first destination. Francois Hollande will try and

replicate that success. I am joined by a Socialist Party

candidate for northern Europe. Quite a constituency, covering 10

countries? Indeed. 10 countries running from Dublin to reader in

Estonia. It includes the Baltic states. And if you were successful,

as you would represent...? 1 seed. Tomorrow I will be staying in

London to prepare for Francois Hollande visit but I will be

visiting five or six countries in the next several months. I will be

under the buses and trains, with easyJet and Ryanair, with my

backpack. Do you have a better chance of picking up thought in

London than in that fear? -- than in Latvia? It is difficult to tell.

Because the people who live here are business people, is this not

your natural constituency? Would you expect the people in London to

be natural socialist? I would not say that they are not natural

supporters. It is difficult to tell. When I'm knead French people in

London I feel that there is quite as strong anti- Sarkozy feeling.

There is a strong French community working in the city, but people in

this city are very diverse. Are you coming over here and criticising

our banks which we love so much? That is not the political message

that Francois Hollande wants to send. Does he still feel that his

true enemy is the world of finance? It is not a feeling, it is a

programme, and when he set the programme, there was a massive

financial crisis in 2008. We feel that nothing has been done to

tackle the causes of the crisis. It could happen again tomorrow.

Mayor of London says that if you carry on seeing this, attacking the

financial system, all the banks will leave Paris and come to

London? He is putting forward a very pragmatic proposals about

separating the invest ment and the detailed activities in banks,

transaction tax. But what Boris Johnson says is what Boris Johnson

says. It is quite a cliche. were schooled in France for 10

years? That is true. I got my first political experience in France. It

was at a time when the French farmers were burning British sheep.

They were setting fire to lorries that had pretty chic in them, so

last time a question about how well the British sheep were doing and he

was thrown by the question. What is your feeling about this

constituency and bringing people together? Your constituency has the

highest number of French residents. Sometimes I complained when there

is a failure on the Baker Line and it is nothing to do with me. THEY

ALL TALK AT ONCE I am rooting for her all the way down the line.

I think she would be a fantastic candidate. There are lots of

younger French people working in London because of the unemployment

crisis in Europe. They are very anti- Sarkozy. You want to know

about her election expenses travelling around all these

countries? It must be an enormous cost? Are you asking me about

English sheep? Not any more. must cost a lot. It is very

regulated in France. The rules are different. We're not allowed to

receive funding from private companies and it is a cap on

expenses that we're not allowed to go by. If you get elected as the

Member of Parliament for northern Europe, will you have a

constituency office as we do a niche of those 10 countries?

think there is scope for a follow up. We will come back to those

issues. He is a flavour of what else has been happening this week.

-- this is a flavour. Andrew Lansley is visiting Queen's

Hospital in Romford. He had a positive news for Londoners. I have

no plans to close hospitals in London but change is inevitable.

Last rites for the demonstrators outside St Paul's with the Court of

Appeal ruling they had no grounds for overturning the judgment, but

the following day the protesters challenged the ruling on the

grounds that the ownership of the land that sent Paul stands on is

uncertain. This former Met chief has called for an inquiry into last

summer's riots. The government has failed to discover what lay behind

these events. The mayor, Boris Johnson, has called for the London

2012 organisers to be more transparent on how tickets are

allocated. 75 % have been allocated to the British public but for the

most high-profile events, the proportion will be much lower. We

got the games and you did not. There are you looking forward to

seeing them in London? Of course. It was hard at the time, but no

hard feelings. You election is in June. That is right. One month

after the presidential election. Will you be able to see the games

in London? I hope so. I could not get any tickets, but I will be

watching on television. That is you, me, and you as well. That is all we

So, there is quite a week in prospect, with more trouble in the

Lords on the NHS, more lobbying on the Budget and that growing row

over Lords Reform. Let's discuss it all in The Week Ahead.

How representative of Tory backbench opinion is Liam Fox when

he says the things he said today? think he was quite representative.

I found his interview quite flat. I thought he might be more

provocative. Instead, the things he was speaking about are the things

that Tory backbenchers are voicing, the that they want to see something

for business in this Budget. They are not speaking about income tax

and are not mentioning taxes are consumer of things, they are

speaking about business. He spoke in a coded way. The way that Tories

used to speak when Mrs Thatcher was in power. Now the Thatcherite

speaking code against David Cameron. He wants backing government so he

is not going to completely stir it up? He was less incendiary than I

thought he might be. He has a good idea when it comes to deregulating

the labour market. Politicians always underestimate the impact of

regulation on businesses. What I have a problem with his his tax

policy. He wants to cut taxes and pay for that by cutting spending

elsewhere. That is an internally consistent idea but not a stimulus.

It is a supply-side reform, which is something different? I am

interested in the split between the Liberal Democrats and the

Conservatives because there seems to be a real agreement that we need

tax cuts. But he will pay for them? The lead them seemed to be saying

that the core food benefit from tax cuts with a 10,000 rate cut, but

the more rich benefit with a map -- will not benefit with a mansion tax.

There is no major Conservatives saying that the top rate should be

cut. That is why the Tory backbenches should be so angry. We

also interviewed Andy Burnham. Were you surprised that he used to be

key word. He did say this was privatisation? I am not surprised

because this is a fundamental shift in the way we are running the

health service. The idea that 49 % of all hospital's money could come

from private sector income as a massive shift. It will resonate

with the public as well. There has never been a limit of privatisation

in the NHS. The only party that had a target was Labour and Patricia

Hewitt. Simon Hughes disagreed, he says this is not a fundamental

change. As bad as this has been for the Government, there is a note of

concern I would urge for Labour. The sound like they are beginning

to think this is a bad idea because professional bodies say this. Given

that Ed Miliband has been criticised for being too close to

the unions, there is a trap that he has to avoid falling into. If he

believes that the Bill is bad for patience, say that, but do not say

because the British Medical Association said. He backed the

doctors in their ballot over industrial action. I thought that

was a very neat sidestep that he did there. The fundamental basis

for this reform was that we want to give power to doctors and nurses,

so it is valid for Labour to point out that if those people do not

want reforms, then the bill falls on itself. Matthew Oakeshott called

for returns died this morning, for a big move to get rid of the clause

on competition altogether. If you get rid of that, the Bill is not

worth having? For Andrew Lansley, that would be a disaster. It would

be a complete embarrassment. I do not think that would be tolerated.

Let me come to this looming battle. People forget that in France in

1968 it was not the riots that brought down General de Gaulle it

was a constitutional reform the following year. It could be this

argument over Lords reform. Matthew Oakeshott said that as a lead them,

a few, the Tories, do not give us Lords reform, you will not get the

Absolutely. But got backlash we saw earlier was a glimpse of what the

next two years might be like for the government. There is also

another problem, the language of priorities, voters will think of

this as an NASA Terek thing for the political class to be talked about

and I think that is a danger for the Lib Dems and for the government.

An interesting aspect of this is that it has been assumed they are

getting reform through would come through the House of Lords itself,

but there is going to be a rebellion in the Commons which will

create a nightmare situation for him because it is one of party

management and it puts the onus on him. I wonder whether a really

radical Tory way of getting out of this problem is the idea that you

abolish one chamber, so you eliminate... We what would the

Lords do? They would be wandering the streets. Sleeping rough! What

is interesting is a lot of people in this country look to the Lords

to have one area where you have conviction politics where people

have interrogated legislation, unafraid of poles and what the

media might say. I agreed with your earlier but I do not think this is

people's are priority with politics at the moment. The Clegg reform of

the Lords involves voting by STV, the single transferable vote, it

has always been the Liberal dream. That ensures a permanent holding of

the balance of power forever by the Lib Dems. Why would Labour, or

Conservative ever fall for that? -- a vote for that? The will be

interesting to see what Ed Miliband does on this because ostensibly

their party is to go for an upper chamber but you can see Ed Miliband

has been very quiet about this and they are paying their cards close

to their chest. -- playing. I think he thinks he can have some fun with

this one. There is talk of the chancellor possibly go with the Lib

Dems, a mansion tax, a couple of higher bans added to the current

Council Tax but the issue of doing that is what they're not have to be

a complete re-evaluation which nobody will agree to? And are that

obstacle is why a week -- I don't think we will see anything in the

direction of a Council Tax. People are lobbying... There is a

historical irony here. In 2007 George Osborne staved off a snap

election by announcing cuts, or promising to raise the threshold of

inheritance tax. It would be ironic if the man who made his name by

promising to cut tax brought about a shift of income to wealth

taxation. A revaluation would only cost 200 million. That is the cost

of doing it. But the cost to individuals... At the moment all

eyes prices are based on 91 prices. That is a mess, a joke. If you own

a one bedroom flat in a nice part of London you don't -- you pay the

same amount of Council Tax as somebody living in a 2 million

house. It is not fair, or efficient. That is it for today. We are back