18/11/2012 Sunday Politics North East and Cumbria

In the North East - who is to blame for the low turnout in a Police and

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2387 seconds

Crime Commissioner elections? Is at The am very warm welcome. Coming up

- is it the end of our public libraries as Newcastle announces

plans to shut 10 amid criticism from local operas. -- authors. With

me, the MP for Gateshead. On whether to give prisoners be bought.

-- of the vote. Where you stand on this? If people Larraine prison but

on demand, they should be allowed to vote. The interesting thing

about this is how many people within the prison population were

registered to vote before going into prison. If they were register

they have up. But if not, what is the fuss about? We have to listen

and do something about this, do we not? It is not a question of

ignoring Europe. We have decided historically that when you go to

prison, certain of your liberties are removed from you. I hope people

will maintain that position that regardless of what is the creed

from the human rights lobby. -- decreed. Five out of six people in

the North East did not vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner

elections. People also seen to be turning their backs on the idea of

elected mayors. Check out the victory speeches - the winning

candidate criticising the election she has just one. This result is

down to the bungling incompetence of this Tory government aided by

the Liberal Democrats henchmen. became in Northumberland's first

Police and Crime Commissioner. general election guarantees that

any candidate gets one at least it through everybody's door. I blame

the government's completely and it is not the public's fault for the

low turnout. Up the local elections in May it sought her mitts of 34.6

per cent and Carlisle. Not exactly fantastic figures but if you

In Cumbria, while the Conservatives triumph, the Liberal Democrats

finished 4th. The Government should have done a great deal more ahead

of the elections to describe what a Police and Crime Commissioner would

actually do. Although the electorate have said they are

concerned by crime, they were indifferent to these elections.

is perhaps the way in which it has been implemented and the public are

thinking they are voting for somebody who understands the needs

of communities and can represent their diverse interests, by making

it a political appointment, in effect. That alienated a lot of

people. A only 18% took part in the vote in Hartlepool. Less than one

in five people bother to go out and bought. The first and possibly the

last elected mayor in Hartlepool. The turnout is disappointing, no

doubt about it. The turnout in the parliamentary by-elections have not

been good either. What about free mailing? The candidates were able

to contact the public and there was nothing stopping them from that. It

is not just that at all. The turnout is disappointing but for

the first time, we have people who are actually elected into the

important role of controlling our police. We never had that before.

People have only been appointed before and the public were not

aware of what was going on in their name. People will want to know why

parties like your own did not get many leaflets out, surely it is up

to you and not to the public purse? Party members worked high is like

to get leaflets out on behalf of our candidate but this is the point

in terms of at the FT election leaflets were all. It would have

cost another �30 million. We would have then had 41 Police and Crime

Commissioner us with some legitimacy to them rather than

being seen as a waste of time. Labour won the three of these on

low turnouts. Do they have a mandate or have they to be careful?

Given the low turnout, I would encourage them to be cautious and

they have to ease into the role and get a public behind them. There is

a lack of legitimacy here. The Conservative when in Cumbria

effectively got the backing of less than 5% of the electorate. Up what

Hamed would be it -- would be accept for legitimacy. Were local

council elections. So Police and Crime Commissioner as can just

carry on as if they had 40% of the electorate? What point would you

take? 40%, 60%? There was an electoral process which was not

available to people before her. There are lots of independent

candidates who have won the elections and we have a real job to

do and I hope they do it well. I have every expectation misaligned

up being a successful exercise. lot of people are mystified. Your

party said this was not about politicising the police but on the

ballot paper there were lots of political parties. It does not mean

people are going to let them. John Prescott was not elected even

though he has a very high profile as a politician. There was an

independent who came second in Durham - would be better with

independent commissioners? Given the level of political

representation in the expected levels of local and national

government in the area, it would be perverse for a party like the

Labour Party not to stand candidates. Even on low turnouts,

resounding victories all cards for Labour candidates will sup --

candidates. This was a way of letting the current government know

what they think of their policy cost up the speed of council cuts

is picking up once again as local authorities begin to finalise local

budgets and libraries appear to be in the firing line. Gateshead says

five branches will be offered to local people to run and the

Newcastle, 10 could be closed. Writers are accusing Newcastle are

using libraries as soft targets. It is story time and toddlers are

having their imaginations imbued with tales of hiding Lyons, for

also on locks and cats with magic hats. They are colouring in at

creating and making things. It is as much for me as it is for my son.

It allows me to socialise and meet other parents. It gets in used to

reading bits because I loved books. This library will help to provide

an amazing setting for the fantastic tales told here. This

library is on the list of proposed cuts being considered by

Middlesbrough Council. It would save the authority �64,000 a year

but people say it is worth much more to them. I go there with my

grandchildren on Saturday mornings. You are not going to learn anything

if they close the library. We only have a few little shops that this

is where all the kids come, you have story times and everything.

is a meeting place for people as well. I cannot believe it is close

thing. The baddies in this grim tale are the local government

according to this MP. It is about explain to people, with the

Government saying we are all in this together, but Teesside council

were hit harder than most. libraries have been taken off the

bits at North Yorkshire. Two communities in Hartlepool lost

their branch. Gateshead wants five of their libraries to be taken over

by volunteers and Newcastle libraries is proposing to continue

just eight of its 18 libraries. initial reaction has been shot.

Libraries have been protected and valued banned although they still

are, there is a limit now with the funding we have. The eight plans

have shocked local writers as well. I am just so shocked that Newcastle

and Gateshead are considering closing libraries and giving others

over two volunteers. It could be the only form of art many people

here have access to it. We're talking about access and the

quality of opportunities and we're closing libraries! We're closing

access to different perspectives on live.

It is not just libraries of up the Newcastle draft budget also

proposes closing the city swimming baths and ending grants to the

Theatre Royal and the Tyneside cinema. Argued treating libraries

as an easy target? Not at all. Up we have to make some extremely

painful decisions as a result of the unfair cuts we're getting from

government. It is services right across the council including the

ones I am particularly concerned about, which are services that

protect vulnerable adults and vulnerable children. The city

council is losing one third of its budget. It is impossible to

conceive -- to continue all the services. One writer said Mrs like

stabbing yourself in the heart. You'll end access to these

resources that could help make doctors and politicians and

everything else. I am furious about this. If Newcastle was treated

fairly, we would have �22 million more next year alone. We are still

going to offer a core library service of eight live reviews

across the city. -- libraries. have make some choices. It is �1

million to pay a living wage to staff. That could have kept

libraries going. The living wage is about supporting our most of rest

economies. The living wage is helping to protect our local

economy it as well as valuing the work people do. You could have used

some of that money to keep the libraries are open? You have

already saved more through it management costs and the living

wage will pay for itself over time in the improved efficiency and

sickness absence. The Big Issue is the unfair cuts as a result of the

decisions taken by the Tories and the Liberal Democrats in

Westminster. I am furious. Would you accept this as a general

assault? Culture has been a big part of Newcastle's economy. What

other ways can be look to? We are already cutting services to the

vulnerable and at are reducing to fortnightly in collections. We're

looking at closing swimming pools. There are no easy options here.

These are dreadful and difficult cuts and we are doing our best to

be fair under the circumstances but the Government is not being fair to

us. That is the fundamental allegation to you. I do not think

the two things are directly related. Indirectly, we have to live within

our means. The budget has been reduced by one-third. They have to

make difficult decisions but I would say that something like

libraries is, as the personal priority, as many as possible

should be kept open. That is a personal priority but we all have

to live within our means. What do you make of your local council's

position? Nobody can pretend that we are able to carry on regardless

with a disproportionate cuts we have had to take compared to many

Conservative councils in the south- east. Do you accept there is no

alternative? Getting that a huge amount of money is taken out of the

unprotected part of the council budget, that part is taking a

massive hits of up I cannot think of any individual services which

can be completely safeguarded. If you do not take it out of this, it

head statutory requirement. Constituents could say they are

very dismayed, what would you say to them? I would say this is a

problem created in the Cabinet Office in terms of the way they

have decided that the cuts would hit northern councils this

proportionately much greater than many in the south. Places like

Newcastle and Gateshead are being hit harder than the Home Counties.

Up if you're going to do that, you might as well blame the last Labour

government who borrowed so much and everybody is now having to suffer.

The distribution of the cuts is what he is saying. Newcastle and

Gateshead seem to have a disproportionate amount of money

taken it compare to councils in the south. I know many councils are

concerned and North Yorkshire are concerned as well. Something needs

to be done? We can look at the formula but it seems to me we still

cannot avoid the fact cuts and changes are necessary. The fragile

recovery, slightly out of recession, take more and more money out of the

economy through this and it will go backwards again. The cuts have not

helped the economy grow. By money is now representing reality for a

change. Borrowing money is not a sensible thing for the individual

people who enjoy libraries. You cannot say that money is not being

taken out of the economy when you look at thousands of pounds that

would have been spent in the local economy that are now being spent

elsewhere in the disproportionate way. That is having a massive

impact in the public and private sectors. Scotland's First Minister

made a reappearance in the region this week. Some regard him as the

arrival but he seemed to be here as an ally, offering political co-

operation. Eight he said hospital consultant

is to be co-leader of a new political party. The opposed the

government's NHS changes. Alex Salmond has held out the prospect

of closer ties if Scotland votes to become independent. The bonds of

Trade, family and friendship, business and commerce between

Scotland and the North East of England are strong at present and

will strengthen in my opinion after Scotland becomes independent.

unemployment fell again but David Miliband said too little has been

done for the young jobless. It is one thing to be unemployed but it

is another to be told the government will help you out of it

and they do not. Let's talk Scotland. Do you see

Alex Salmond as a friend to the North East? I see the people of

Scotland as good friends and neighbours but Alex Salmond is now

beginning to understand that England is the market through which

Scotland have to travel. Up there is a mutual interest. Goods passing

through it would serve as the North East and Scotland. Was he right to

say that Scotland and the North East can make common cause because

they both get a raw deal from the South? He comes across the border

and informs us what the terms of surrender will be. I think they

should get themselves back into Scotland and tell Alex Salmond and

all the Scots the advantages of remaining in the United Kingdom,

never mind all that nonsense. I hope the North East is not coined

by this sort of smooth talking. -- conned. He was talking about things

like high-speed rail, would be South getting it first, why not

Scotland and the North? Why are we going to get into bed with Scotland

of a sudden? We would have to formally celebrate all the Scottish

holidays of up people might like that! Ascot and get the chance to

cut business taxes, that could be a serious threat to the economy?

are already seeing the effects of Scotland having a parliament and

the eradication of our regional development agency means Scotland

are still doing it economic development but we do not have that

capacity in the North East. We have seen some good examples of that in

comparison to us. Does it worry you they would go further if they get

independence or further evolution powers? His visit here has

eliminated the fact he sees England at an important market for Scotland

and we all need to wake up to that will sup I believe he is better off

in Edinburgh and can argue what he likes about Scottish independence

but if it ever happens, I think it is the disadvantages to the whole

of the United Kingdom including the North East. Some people's just

south of the border might like the idea of the prescription charges

and an Alex Salmond government. have already seen certain problems

with people moving across the border because of changes and

policies that are being done by the Scottish Parliament right now. I

think we need to consolidate the United Kingdom as an entity and

anything further down the road would be bad news for the North

East and other regions will sup thank you very much. That is about