:01:31. > :01:33.Can anyone beat Labour in the Middlesbrough by-election?
:01:33. > :01:43.Other Government enterprise zone that selecting new jobs for the
:01:43. > :01:43.
:01:43. > :39:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2243 seconds
:39:07. > :39:10.North East or just recycling Good morning.
:39:10. > :39:13.Coming up... A bar the Government's enterprise
:39:13. > :39:17.zones delivering new jobs for the North East or just recycling
:39:17. > :39:21.existing ones? We will be talking about that and
:39:21. > :39:26.the rest of the week's political news.
:39:26. > :39:30.The cuts made by Newcastle council to its supportive arts
:39:30. > :39:33.organisations made the national headlines this week. Are those
:39:33. > :39:36.grants just a luxury we cannot afford?
:39:36. > :39:42.Absolutely not. Arts and culture are part of the branding of
:39:42. > :39:46.Newcastle Gateshead and the North East. They have also driven growth.
:39:46. > :39:50.The council has to explain why its proposal to do these cuts when
:39:50. > :39:54.other councils are not. They haven't got enough money.
:39:54. > :39:58.Newcastle are not very different to the other councils around them.
:39:58. > :40:02.Can you justify funding for the arts when the councils might say
:40:02. > :40:08.money for essential services is so tight?
:40:08. > :40:11.They have made these choices. I think it is important about the
:40:11. > :40:16.arts and the creative industries are well financed and well-funded
:40:16. > :40:23.from central Government. A lot of local authorities are staring into
:40:23. > :40:27.the abyss in terms of finances, and the mass of savage cuts imposed
:40:27. > :40:30.upon local Government means that these tough choices have had to be
:40:30. > :40:35.made. They have made these decisions against their will. They
:40:35. > :40:38.would prefer to have the arts and the creative industries left in
:40:38. > :40:44.place. If you haven't got the finances, you cannot do what you
:40:44. > :40:48.want to do. The Middlesbrough by-election up
:40:48. > :40:52.next. The Labour leader was in town yesterday campaigning on behalf of
:40:52. > :40:56.his party's candidate. The by- election follows the death of Sir
:40:56. > :41:02.Stuart Bell, whose cast -- some critics that it use of neglecting
:41:02. > :41:06.his duties. Also, the UKIP leader is aiming to cause an upset when
:41:06. > :41:11.they go to the polls this Thursday. The vote comes at at time when
:41:11. > :41:16.Liverpool is wrestling some of the biggest cuts yet to local services.
:41:16. > :41:20.Middlesbrough. For almost 40 years, represented by a Labour MP. For
:41:20. > :41:24.more than half of that, by Sir Stuart Bell. Plenty of people paid
:41:24. > :41:30.tribute to his work here but he did, a fair amount of flak here in his
:41:30. > :41:35.final years, with some asking if he does Britain's laziest MP. His
:41:35. > :41:41.reputation and majority in recent years took a bashing. In 1997,
:41:41. > :41:46.seven out of 10 people voted Labour, producing a massive 25,000 majority.
:41:46. > :41:52.By 2010, they had slipped to 45% of the vote and a majority of the
:41:52. > :41:57.8,700. As low as it has been and 40 years. 17,000 voters drifted away.
:41:57. > :42:01.That doesn't mean a Middlesbrough is a marginal seat, but opponents
:42:01. > :42:05.believe this figures suggests this is a town that is falling out of
:42:05. > :42:08.love with Labour. Most of the people I speak to on the doorstep
:42:08. > :42:12.are crying out for something different. They're not sure what
:42:12. > :42:16.that something different days. The time lacks a credible challenger
:42:16. > :42:22.who will pick up the gauntlet and really challenge the Labour Party
:42:22. > :42:26.and told them to account. I am offering that.
:42:26. > :42:31.I am asking, what is the Labour Party doing for us? There has been
:42:31. > :42:34.little or no investment in the area. They have turned up at election
:42:34. > :42:39.time and then they will disappear for five years and did all over
:42:39. > :42:43.again. I am here to say that does not have to be the case. I am a
:42:43. > :42:47.genuine alternative for the Labour Party.
:42:47. > :42:53.There is one tricky problems. As the Conservatives leaflet voters, a
:42:53. > :42:59.few hundred yards away, the council was planning 111 cuts worth
:42:59. > :43:03.millions. They're even turning off the town centre CCTV cameras.
:43:03. > :43:08.Middlesbrough's mare, Ray Mallon, has blamed the coalition. You
:43:08. > :43:12.contenders believe they have the chance to prosper. It is such a
:43:12. > :43:16.strong Labour area that for historical reasons, at we could
:43:16. > :43:20.never find us in our hearts to vote for the Conservatives.
:43:20. > :43:24.Understandably. Lot of people are beginning to realise that UKIP
:43:24. > :43:28.really does represent the ordinary hard-working person in the country.
:43:28. > :43:32.More so than the current New Labour Party. There is nothing in
:43:32. > :43:36.Parliament at the moment that will fight on behalf of these people.
:43:36. > :43:40.They don't care. All they care about is global business. They
:43:40. > :43:45.don't care about building factories and making stuff again in our
:43:45. > :43:55.country. Labour are facing plenty of hostile fire. But it is still
:43:55. > :43:56.
:43:56. > :44:01.those prepared to stick with them. Support like that is likely to make
:44:01. > :44:07.this man Middlesbrough's next MP. Does he accept that his party needs
:44:07. > :44:11.to up its game? I am telling people that I am absolutely committed to
:44:11. > :44:15.opening an office in Middlesbrough. I will have the surgery is there
:44:15. > :44:19.and I will be a very accessible. The MP and the party should work
:44:19. > :44:24.hard to serve the people who elect their representatives. That is an
:44:24. > :44:28.absolute given, as far as I'm concerned. I will work hard for the
:44:28. > :44:34.people of Middlesbrough. There is another danger. Apathy. At this
:44:34. > :44:39.time of year, there are plenty of distractions. Recently, a own
:44:39. > :44:43.record low by-election turnout to be 18% was set in Manchester. It's
:44:43. > :44:46.will be a shock of labour did not win next week. It might be less of
:44:46. > :44:50.a surprise if that term at record comes under threat.
:44:50. > :44:54.You can hear more on the by- election on BBC TV's Breakfast
:44:54. > :44:58.programme which is running minutes manifestos from all the candidates.
:44:58. > :45:03.You can see a list and are of who they are lower at the website.
:45:03. > :45:08.There seems to be an increasing challenge to get people to turn out.
:45:08. > :45:11.Is that quite depressing? It is. For generations, people
:45:11. > :45:15.thought for the vote and people have got red and people are not
:45:15. > :45:18.turning out. Whether it is in the police and crime Commissioner
:45:18. > :45:22.elections last week were these recent by-elections, they have not
:45:22. > :45:26.been turning out the way they should have. They have to take
:45:26. > :45:32.responsibility for that. People should look at what is happening in
:45:32. > :45:36.their area. There are plenty of critics. They should vote for who
:45:36. > :45:40.they think should best represent their area.
:45:40. > :45:44.Is it telling you politicians that you're not inspiring them to vote?
:45:44. > :45:49.They may believe that, but there are plenty of good politicians of
:45:49. > :45:53.all colours out there. People are not listening.
:45:53. > :45:56.A low turnout is a sign of disillusionment with politics. That
:45:57. > :46:01.is the danger. I absolutely. It is particularly a
:46:01. > :46:06.problem with young people. Alter people have had a habit of voting
:46:06. > :46:12.over many years. -- older people. I am very seriously worried about
:46:12. > :46:17.this. Politicians will have to do more to engage with the population.
:46:17. > :46:23.With young people in particular. How do you best defence you
:46:23. > :46:28.communities as a politician? De protest against cuts, or is there
:46:28. > :46:33.something else? You grow your business rates. From
:46:33. > :46:37.April, Middlesbrough has the capacity to share in half of the
:46:37. > :46:42.growth of business rate income. Given the amount of money going
:46:42. > :46:46.into the regional growth fund, some �300 million across the North East
:46:46. > :46:49.as a whole, there is great capacity to grow...
:46:49. > :46:54.Does that compensate for all the money that has been taken out of
:46:54. > :46:57.all these places? Broadly speaking, the amount of
:46:57. > :47:00.money that the Government is spending through the regional
:47:00. > :47:05.growth fund and similar funds in the North East is not that
:47:05. > :47:10.dissimilar to what was spent by one North East.
:47:10. > :47:14.But there are lots of other cuts. Sure. But led Middlesbrough has the
:47:14. > :47:20.power to grow its own tax base and let's get the councils to share
:47:20. > :47:26.services more than they do. Your area has suffered cuts. His
:47:26. > :47:31.protest will you can do? The job of an MP is to be sickly
:47:31. > :47:34.get into the house of Commons, speak to people, discuss things,
:47:34. > :47:38.explain the problems in your area and hopefully, get a good deal from
:47:38. > :47:45.whoever is in Government. It is always very difficult if you are in
:47:45. > :47:50.opposition. My job... I met with the Secretary of State from
:47:50. > :47:55.different departments and tried to promote my area. I tried to promote
:47:55. > :47:58.so that the areas we needed help with. It is a constant, ongoing
:47:58. > :48:02.process of campaigning on behalf of the people you represent.
:48:02. > :48:06.A queue. Enterprise Zones carried Government
:48:07. > :48:11.policy designed to attract new jobs in two areas hardest hit of the
:48:11. > :48:15.recession. There are two in the North East. There are discounted
:48:15. > :48:19.business rates and other tax breaks to tempt new companies in. But are
:48:19. > :48:24.they working? There one of the Government's big
:48:24. > :48:30.ideas for reviving the economy. But already, there are claims that
:48:30. > :48:35.Enterprise Zones are displacing, not creating, jobs. It was
:48:35. > :48:39.obviously far more advantageous to them to be on at this site within
:48:39. > :48:44.the Enterprise Zone, as opposed to being on our site 50 yards away and
:48:45. > :48:50.not being on a Enterprise Zone. This man runs the oceanic business
:48:50. > :48:56.park on Tyneside, right next to an Enterprise Zone. He claims a client
:48:56. > :49:01.left him for the zone next door. is 10,000 square feet of offices
:49:01. > :49:07.which were occupied by them for about four years. From our point of
:49:07. > :49:13.view, it is not easy to replace that. Why would a firm up sticks
:49:13. > :49:15.and move into an Enterprise Zone? They offer a discount of up to
:49:16. > :49:20.�55,000 via on firms on their business rates, faster planning
:49:20. > :49:29.process and other help with big projects, but super-fast broadband.
:49:29. > :49:32.Northumberland, Tyneside and Wearside is where our area is.
:49:32. > :49:37.Focusing on firms associated with the manufacture of all to no carbon
:49:37. > :49:41.vehicles, part of the stone is near the Nissan factory. Other areas are
:49:41. > :49:45.near the North bank of the time, focusing on its renewable energy.
:49:45. > :49:49.Is there a small area is that the Port of Blyth. There is another
:49:49. > :49:53.right here. Around 40 nectars of the Port of Blyth is part of the
:49:53. > :49:59.Enterprise Zone. But the port had risen he wanted more than 60 actors
:50:00. > :50:06.included. We were open for 60 plus at one point. It was then died 30
:50:06. > :50:10.plus, but we have to be pragmatic. We will work with what we have got.
:50:10. > :50:15.We have still got the Enterprise Zone on the two key sites around
:50:15. > :50:20.the estuary. We're already getting firm interest in both those sites.
:50:20. > :50:24.The local MP thinks that because the area in his own as though -- so
:50:24. > :50:29.small placed at Port of Blyth, it is not well placed to take the
:50:30. > :50:34.thriving new energy development. But we have the land, the place
:50:34. > :50:38.that it, and we must encourage that. We have the best testing centre in
:50:38. > :50:42.the whole of Europe for these things. You would expect companies
:50:42. > :50:47.to a building them would want to come to that Port of Blyth and set
:50:47. > :50:51.up business. This is the old shipyard on the banks of the
:50:51. > :50:57.enterprise zone. How about that claim we heard area, that the firm
:50:57. > :51:00.hopped over the fence to be here? This man -- woman is a board member
:51:00. > :51:05.of the Local Enterprise Partnership. That is the organisation who
:51:05. > :51:13.oversees the zone. That the council were talking to that business one
:51:13. > :51:17.year before the Enterprise Zone was actually allocated. Enterprise
:51:17. > :51:23.zones now offer a real opportunity. Previously, we had shipbuilding.
:51:23. > :51:27.That is gone. Now, we have the opportunity to move on. This is a
:51:27. > :51:33.great opportunity for regenerating the area to bring life back into
:51:33. > :51:37.our region and the really successful. We have got that
:51:37. > :51:42.opportunities. We have been great before and we need to be great
:51:42. > :51:46.again. Enterprise Zones were tried in the 1980s and 1990s with mix
:51:46. > :51:50.success. Many jobs for simply displaced from elsewhere. This time
:51:50. > :51:56.around, it is hoped an old idea will bring new vigour to the region
:51:56. > :51:59.rather than running into the same old problems.
:51:59. > :52:09.Thin you local enterprise partnerships over Segers and Max
:52:09. > :52:09.
:52:10. > :52:14.Louis Phillippe. Over see those Enterprise Zones. Jobs can just pop
:52:14. > :52:20.over into the Enterprise Zone. As that's something that concerns you?
:52:20. > :52:25.You heard on a report that there are two sides to that particular
:52:25. > :52:31.incident that was described. I think, however, as we have said
:52:31. > :52:37.with the Enterprise Zones, what we have tried to do is set up a regime
:52:37. > :52:43.where that risk of so-called sense of income be minimised. The end --
:52:43. > :52:47.Enterprise Zones are very different to the ones in the 1980s. Business
:52:47. > :52:51.rate relief is limited to five years rather than 10 years. The
:52:51. > :52:54.absolute amount of money someone can benefit from his limited. We
:52:54. > :53:01.have deliberately chosen sites that are more suitable for manufacturing
:53:01. > :53:05.rather than offices or retail. Would you accept that there is some
:53:05. > :53:10.risk? If you can get an advantage, the business will take it?
:53:10. > :53:15.There is a risk. But we have taken a lot of steps to minimise those
:53:15. > :53:19.risks. We have cut allowances and these are only available for plant
:53:19. > :53:23.and machinery. It is not available for the buildings like it used to
:53:23. > :53:27.be in the past. A lot of measures have been put in place to try and
:53:27. > :53:30.mitigate some of the things from the past. Are you convinced that
:53:30. > :53:39.these Enterprise Zones will generally create lots of new jobs?
:53:39. > :53:44.Yes. We are already seeing some success. The North East Enterprise
:53:44. > :53:49.Zone is the first to actually achieving a significant tenant with
:53:49. > :53:56.the announcement earlier in the year of a van TEC, who have arrived
:53:56. > :54:01.under making a big investment. Be is what is on offer and off? Yes.
:54:01. > :54:06.Ask all the companies why they came. They are taking advantage of the
:54:06. > :54:09.benefits of the Enterprise Zone. Thank you.
:54:09. > :54:13.That is the view of business. Enterprise Zones are delivering
:54:13. > :54:20.jobs and will continue to. That is why I have been calling for
:54:20. > :54:27.an extension from the Councillor Sammy Brush to cover -- an
:54:27. > :54:32.extension of the current Enterprise Zone to cover new regions. The
:54:32. > :54:36.statistics you see in some areas are alarming. There is a rate of
:54:36. > :54:41.15.9% of people aged between 18 and 24 or claiming jobseeker's
:54:41. > :54:46.Allowance - twice the national average. Yet the current Enterprise
:54:46. > :54:50.Zone stops but for -- before this area that is in the greatest need.
:54:51. > :54:56.Anybody who wanted to come into the area would stop at the side of the
:54:56. > :55:00.events were the incentives are and not come into the area is beyond me.
:55:00. > :55:04.They're not there to go into the areas with the highest unemployment,
:55:04. > :55:08.there are there to target areas where businesses are most likely to
:55:08. > :55:15.wants to come. They cannot be everywhere. Correct, but I would
:55:15. > :55:21.have thought that where you have areas of high deprivation, and
:55:21. > :55:26.there are a lot of their areas like that, and I cannot for the life of
:55:26. > :55:31.the C Y D Enterprise Zones stop its there, when there are massive
:55:31. > :55:35.unemployment rates and social deprivation. We need to create up
:55:36. > :55:39.employment and growth. I have been calling for an extension of the
:55:39. > :55:43.already extended Enterprise Zone into my area.
:55:43. > :55:46.The allegation is that there's just not enough of the areas in the
:55:46. > :55:52.Enterprise Zone to make a big enough difference.
:55:52. > :55:56.In Port of Blyth, it certainly is big enough. I have some sympathy,
:55:56. > :56:01.but these Enterprise Zones we have are the ones that the region asked
:56:01. > :56:05.for. In the course of time, they might be able to be expanded. But
:56:05. > :56:10.let's just celebrate the good news of the energy bill, which has made
:56:10. > :56:14.it financially viable for companies to invest in offshore.
:56:14. > :56:19.What about the point that the danger is that instead of getting
:56:19. > :56:22.valuable investment into impoverished areas, it will just go
:56:22. > :56:26.towards whether some at the Max are already?
:56:26. > :56:31.You will see very substantial private sector investments now as a
:56:31. > :56:37.consequence of the energy bill in offshore. To her mind and bleared
:56:37. > :56:42.manufacture I think are going to come to the North East. There could
:56:42. > :56:47.be supplied change, you see. Think of Nissan in Washington, Sunderland,
:56:47. > :56:50.and look at their supply chain. The North East as a very bright future
:56:51. > :56:55.and that is not just about the James Murdochs.
:56:55. > :56:59.Wood and the best way to get gross be to make the will of the North
:56:59. > :57:02.East is the Mac and when a company comes, you say you can have your
:57:02. > :57:05.grants Revenue want to go in that region?
:57:06. > :57:10.The effectively, the regional growth fund is doing that by giving
:57:10. > :57:14.de private sector companies to can grow. That is almost �300 million
:57:14. > :57:17.from the first three rounds of the region on with funds coming into
:57:17. > :57:21.the North East. That's bigger success of what we have got and
:57:21. > :57:26.demonstrate a Government that we can use the money productively.
:57:26. > :57:31.Are you satisfied with that? The idea you have just suggested,
:57:31. > :57:37.making the whole of the North East and the James Murdoch, is fine.
:57:37. > :57:41.But there is a limit to public finances?
:57:41. > :57:47.Yes, but the current extension to the Enterprise Zone has not
:57:47. > :57:51.attracted extra enhanced allowances. Geographically, it has expanded,
:57:51. > :57:55.but the finances are exactly the same as what was announced in
:57:55. > :57:59.November 2011. They have just expanded the size of the Enterprise
:57:59. > :58:02.Zone. Thank you. It is not often a humble
:58:02. > :58:12.kebab gets a mention on the programme, but a Cumbrian MP is
:58:12. > :58:16.
:58:16. > :58:21.keen to change all that. Here is the 60 seconds news.
:58:21. > :58:24.Newcastle council is to shed 1,300 jobs and scrap weekly been
:58:24. > :58:27.collections as part of its efforts to save �90 million over three
:58:27. > :58:31.years. Arts funding will also be cut.
:58:31. > :58:35.Come rain needs to save �80 million next year to balance the books.
:58:36. > :58:40.The region's new police commissioners are starting work in
:58:40. > :58:42.County Durham. Anne McIntosh has criticised
:58:42. > :58:46.planning inspectors for lying 300 houses to be built in an area prone
:58:46. > :58:51.to flooding. How is this that a planning
:58:51. > :58:55.decision can be overruled by an out-of-town planning inspector that
:58:55. > :59:02.will have enormous implications for something?
:59:02. > :59:06.Is it time to move the house of Lords up North? Peers will debate
:59:06. > :59:10.at Northumbria University this week that the second chamber should up
:59:10. > :59:14.sticks out of Westminster. And the quality of Cumbria's kebabs
:59:14. > :59:20.get celebrated by Penrith MP. He has dominated the alternative
:59:20. > :59:23.takeaway for the first ever British kebab wards.
:59:24. > :59:28.It comes in all shades and sizes! It would be great news 3, wouldn't
:59:28. > :59:34.it, that out of Lords came to the North?
:59:34. > :59:39.They would certainly save me in travelling. The idea originated
:59:39. > :59:44.with the proposed Bill, which would have turned the house of Lords into
:59:44. > :59:48.a set and would have had its direct regional representation. It is very
:59:48. > :59:52.complicated to do, because the nature of the Lords, which revises
:59:52. > :59:56.have scrutinised as the Commons, which the sides, actually requires
:59:56. > :00:00.us to be very close to the Commons. However, it is my view that you
:00:00. > :00:04.could get many more select committees to take evidence from
:00:04. > :00:09.right around England and the rest of the UK and I could welcome that.
:00:09. > :00:14.You can make a case for moving civil servants, but not the Lords?
:00:14. > :00:18.You can make a decision to move the Commons and the Lords to the region.
:00:18. > :00:23.Why not? We have a brilliant region here with fantastic people and
:00:23. > :00:28.facilities. It would stimulate a regional economy.
:00:28. > :00:32.But everybody has to be together. While I do they have to be together
:00:32. > :00:36.in London? Why not Newcastle? Simulate the local economy. Bring
:00:36. > :00:40.them into one of the best regions in the world.
:00:40. > :00:44.Do you think you could persuade business leaders, international
:00:44. > :00:49.politicians, to come up to Northumberland?
:00:49. > :00:53.I doubt it. Fair enough!
:00:53. > :00:58.It would change the whole political balance of the country, wouldn't
:00:58. > :01:02.it? We desperately need to do that. That is true. You would have a
:01:02. > :01:05.problem deciding where it would be. The North of England would be
:01:05. > :01:10.competing with Edinburgh, because that house of Lords covers the
:01:11. > :01:15.United Kingdom. What I would prefer, because the back of the matter is
:01:15. > :01:20.that London is the UK's capital. It is where the media is, big
:01:20. > :01:23.business... Briefly, obviously, there is the
:01:23. > :01:27.need to refer this. It has to go somewhere.
:01:27. > :01:32.A for five years, we will have to leave. You either leave elsewhere
:01:32. > :01:36.in London or you could leave to go elsewhere in England. I would
:01:36. > :01:42.welcome a study which tells us I feasible that might be.
:01:42. > :01:45.Thank you. That's about it from us. I will be
:01:45. > :01:51.Middlesbrough on Thursday night for the by-election count. You can