12/02/2017

Download Subtitles

Transcript

:00:40. > :00:44.Commons Speaker John Bercow is accused of compromising his

:00:45. > :00:46.impartiality by revealing he voted Remain in last year's EU referendum.

:00:47. > :00:56.The EU Withdrawal Bill clears its first Parliamentary hurdle.

:00:57. > :00:58.But will the House of Lords be quite so accommodating?

:00:59. > :01:05.Labour's Leader in the Lords joins us live.

:01:06. > :01:09.And we report from Stoke-on-Trent ahead of a crucial by-election

:01:10. > :01:12.later this month, where Ukip is looking to give

:01:13. > :01:15.We're in Cumbria looking ahead to the are crucial,

:01:16. > :01:22.The house service and nuclear power, two issues that

:01:23. > :01:35.And with me a political panel who frequently like to compromise

:01:36. > :01:40.Steve Richards, Julia Hartley-Brewer and Janan Ganesh.

:01:41. > :01:47.I'll be trying to keep them in order during the course of the programme.

:01:48. > :01:49.So, Commons Speaker John Bercow has insisted his ability

:01:50. > :01:56.to act impartially is not damaged by reports that he voted to Remain

:01:57. > :02:02.The Sunday Telegraph reveals that Speaker Bercow revealed his views

:02:03. > :02:05.in front of an audience of students at Reading University

:02:06. > :02:22.This may not be popular with some people in this audience -

:02:23. > :02:26.I thought it was better to stay in the European Union than not,

:02:27. > :02:30.partly for economic reason, being part of a big trade bloc,

:02:31. > :02:34.and partly because I think we're in a world of power blocs,

:02:35. > :02:36.and I think for all the weaknesses and deficiencies

:02:37. > :02:39.of the European Union, it is better to be part of that big

:02:40. > :02:50.Speaker Bercow speaking at Reading University earlier this month. Does

:02:51. > :02:56.he not care is this I get that impression, he knows perfectly well,

:02:57. > :02:59.it states he has to be particularly -- Parliamentary neural. Whether

:03:00. > :03:04.there are going to be enough votes to force him out, the question, the

:03:05. > :03:09.last speaker wept out with the 20 vote against him. You yes to have

:03:10. > :03:15.the command of the support across the House. There is a Deputy

:03:16. > :03:25.Speaker, waiting, who would be superb. I think even the people who

:03:26. > :03:30.pretend to support Macis have had enough -- Speaker Bercow have had

:03:31. > :03:34.enough of his ways. The reason I ask whether he care, he didn't just tell

:03:35. > :03:38.the students that he voted to Remain, he then gave them a running

:03:39. > :03:45.commentary on all the issues that will be part of the Brexit

:03:46. > :03:47.negotiations, workers' rights, immigration, trade policy, everyone

:03:48. > :03:53.maternity leave got a hat tip from him. He would be a very well

:03:54. > :03:58.prepared Brexit minister if attendance needs a colleague --

:03:59. > :04:02.David Davis needs a colleague. I don't think this story makes his

:04:03. > :04:06.position untenable, what does is the wired pattern of behaviour of

:04:07. > :04:14.excessive candour on his political views, going back years, this is a

:04:15. > :04:20.guy who when the Queen visited Parliament described her as theical

:04:21. > :04:24.lied scope Queen. He had a running argument with David Cameron. We know

:04:25. > :04:35.his views on Brexit, we know his views on Donald Trump. . He has

:04:36. > :04:39.given interviews, none of the views are illegitimate but the candour

:04:40. > :04:44.which they are expressed with is scrupulous. Given Lyndsay Hoyle is a

:04:45. > :04:49.class accuse. He is the Deputy Speaker. And a fairly ready

:04:50. > :04:54.replacement, whether there is more of a movement to say, maybe not

:04:55. > :04:57.force Bercow out but acknowledge he has had a few years in the job and

:04:58. > :05:04.the question of successor ship comes into play. Has he concluded he is

:05:05. > :05:08.untouchable? What I can definitely say, is that he is determined to

:05:09. > :05:12.fight this one out, and not go of his own volition, so if he goes he

:05:13. > :05:18.will have to be forced out. He wants to stay. Which will be tough. It

:05:19. > :05:22.will be tough. Likely as things stand. I would say this, I speak to

:05:23. > :05:26.someone who likes the way he has brought the House of Commons to

:05:27. > :05:30.life, held ministers to account, forced them into explain thing,

:05:31. > :05:33.whenever there is a topical issue you know it will be in the House of

:05:34. > :05:40.Commons. He has changed that. He has. Time has been courageous, Ied a

:05:41. > :05:48.mire the way he has been a speaker. I would say this, during the

:05:49. > :05:50.referendum campaign, he asked me Nick Clegg, and Peter Hitchens to

:05:51. > :05:55.debate Brexit if his constituency. It was a packed out meeting. He

:05:56. > :06:01.chaired it. I said don't you want to join in? He didn't. He showed no

:06:02. > :06:07.desire to join in, he was impartial. He goes out to universities and kind

:06:08. > :06:14.of demyth GCSEs Parliament by speaking to them in a way, he

:06:15. > :06:21.doesn't gets credit for it and stays on after and drinks with them.

:06:22. > :06:25.Sometimes he, you know, it is clearly a mistake to have gone into

:06:26. > :06:29.his views retrospectively on that referendum campaign, I don't think

:06:30. > :06:32.that, did he try and stop Article 50 from being triggered in the House of

:06:33. > :06:37.Commons? That would be a scandal. Even that would be beyond him.

:06:38. > :06:43.Briefly, yes or no, could you imagine Betty Boothroyd behaving

:06:44. > :06:47.like that? Not at all. None of the recent speakers I could imagine

:06:48. > :06:50.doing that. It is good he is different.

:06:51. > :06:54.The bill that will allow the government to trigger Article 50

:06:55. > :06:56.and begin Brexit negotiations was voted through

:06:57. > :07:00.Many MPs were in a difficult position - unsure whether to vote

:07:01. > :07:01.with their conscience, their constituency,

:07:02. > :07:05.Europe, once such a divisive issue for the Conservatives,

:07:06. > :07:07.is now causing major divisions inside the Labour Party.

:07:08. > :07:12.So, let's have a look what happened in a bit more detail:

:07:13. > :07:14.Thanks to academic research carried out since the referendum,

:07:15. > :07:17.we now have estimates of how each individual constituency voted.

:07:18. > :07:23.It's thought that 410 constituencies voted Leave.

:07:24. > :07:30.On Wednesday night, the EU Notification of Withdrawal Bill

:07:31. > :07:32.was voted through by the House of Commons.

:07:33. > :07:41.The bill left the Labour Party divided.

:07:42. > :07:44.Jeremy Corbyn told his MPs to respect the result

:07:45. > :07:46.of the referendum and vote for the government's bill -

:07:47. > :07:49.But 52 Labour MPs defied Mr Corbyn's thee-line whip

:07:50. > :08:05.That's about a fifth of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

:08:06. > :08:08.Of those 52 Labour MPs who voted against the bill,

:08:09. > :08:10.the majority, 45 of them, represent seats that voted Remain.

:08:11. > :08:12.However, seven Labour MPs voted against the Article 50 Bill,

:08:13. > :08:14.even though their constituents voted Leave in the referendum.

:08:15. > :08:16.The Conservative Party were much more united.

:08:17. > :08:19.The vast majority of Tory MPs, 320 of them, voted for the bill.

:08:20. > :08:21.Just one Conservative MP, Ken Clarke, voted against it.

:08:22. > :08:23.His constituency, Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, voted Remain.

:08:24. > :08:26.The bill will now go to the House of Lords -

:08:27. > :08:40.peers will start debating it on Monday the 20th of February.

:08:41. > :08:42.Joining me now is Matthew Goodwin, politics professor at

:08:43. > :08:45.He's got a book out next month called

:08:46. > :08:47.Brexit: Why Britain Voted To Leave The European Union.

:08:48. > :08:55.Welcome to the programme. Has Brexit, how you voted in the

:08:56. > :08:59.referendum and your continuing attitudes toward it, is that now

:09:00. > :09:04.becoming the new dividing line in British politics? I think it

:09:05. > :09:08.certainly is contributing to a new dividing line, in western politics

:09:09. > :09:12.more generally, we know over the last ten years, that the old left

:09:13. > :09:16.and right division has been making way for a new division, between

:09:17. > :09:19.essentially social liberals and Conservative, and Brexit was a, an

:09:20. > :09:24.incident a moment that really reflected that new dividing line, so

:09:25. > :09:30.it wasn't just the case that Brexit has cut across Labour's base, it is

:09:31. > :09:35.that dividing line, that deeper division is cutting across social

:09:36. > :09:39.democracies more generally. Is there a possibility, no higher than that,

:09:40. > :09:44.that it will reShane our party politics? I think it is too early to

:09:45. > :09:48.know whether this is a fundamental long-term realignment. If we look at

:09:49. > :09:54.what is happening in local by-election, what is happening at

:09:55. > :10:01.by-elections, pictures a bit mixed but if you look at how some of the

:10:02. > :10:04.Labour vote is responding, I think that potentially reflects the

:10:05. > :10:08.possibility of a terminal decline for the Labour Party, it is going to

:10:09. > :10:12.be incredibly difficult for Labour to win these voters back, these are

:10:13. > :10:17.traditional working class, socially Conservative voters who are leaving

:10:18. > :10:21.the party, don't forget, since the 1997 general election. It is not

:10:22. > :10:26.just because of the referendum. If that was the case, Labour would

:10:27. > :10:29.become more a party of the Metropolitan areas, and less of a

:10:30. > :10:34.party outside of these area, is that what you are saying? What we are S

:10:35. > :10:40.seeing across the west can social democracy that retrenchment into the

:10:41. > :10:44.cosmopolitan, Metropolitan city area, university towns, you can

:10:45. > :10:47.seeing in many European states populist right parties filling the

:10:48. > :10:53.traditional socialist area, why are they doing that? Because they are

:10:54. > :10:57.offering two message, economic and cultural protectionism. Social

:10:58. > :11:01.Democrats are clinging to that economic protectionism but not

:11:02. > :11:05.saying much about migration and multiculturalism and that sort of

:11:06. > :11:08.stuff. Are there deeper forces at work than Jeremy Corbyn? He often

:11:09. > :11:12.gets the blame for what is happening to the Labour Party now, but if you

:11:13. > :11:20.look the way the Greek socialist party has been wiped out. The German

:11:21. > :11:23.Social Democrats are in trouble. The Italian socialist party has lost a

:11:24. > :11:28.referendum. The French socialist are coming close to being wiped out on

:11:29. > :11:33.April 23rd, Labour's problems, are part of a much wider problem of

:11:34. > :11:37.social democracy S Jeremy Corbyn is a surface problem, what I mean by

:11:38. > :11:40.that is you could replace him tosh with another leader, they would

:11:41. > :11:47.still have this fundamental tension within the electorate. They are

:11:48. > :11:50.trying to appeal to two differenter reconcilable groups of voters who

:11:51. > :11:55.think differently about the key issues of the day. It is very

:11:56. > :12:01.difficult for any centre left party now to assemble the kinds of

:12:02. > :12:05.coalitionses we saw in the '90s with Clinton and Blair and Schroeder.

:12:06. > :12:10.Those days are gone. Does that explain why it is now Labour, rather

:12:11. > :12:14.than the Conservatives, historically the party divided over the European

:12:15. > :12:20.Union, does all of that help to explain why its Labour that now

:12:21. > :12:26.seems, disunited over the EU? I think so, I think also that the

:12:27. > :12:30.issue of Brexit, and the EU, is so immatly wrapped up with that issue

:12:31. > :12:35.of immigration, if you look at who has been abandoned Labour since 2015

:12:36. > :12:40.or the late 90s, the one thing those voters share is a rejection of the

:12:41. > :12:45.so-called liberal consensus on EU membership and mass immigration. It

:12:46. > :12:49.is difficult for any Labour lead eer co-bin or Clive Lewis on Dan Jarvis,

:12:50. > :12:53.to bring those voters back unless they are going to move on that

:12:54. > :12:58.cultural terrain. If they are not, they may not go to Ukip, they might

:12:59. > :13:00.go to somewhere more difficult for Labour which is political apathy.

:13:01. > :13:03.Thank you for that. Attention now shifts to the House

:13:04. > :13:06.of Lords where peers will begin scrutinising the EU Withdrawal Bill

:13:07. > :13:08.in just over a week. Brexit Secretary David Davis urged

:13:09. > :13:11.the Lords "to do its patriotic duty" and resist the urge to tinker

:13:12. > :13:13.with the legislation. Former minister Oliver Letwin

:13:14. > :13:15.went one further - mooting the possibility

:13:16. > :13:17.of the abolition of the Lords if it sought to frustrate

:13:18. > :13:20.the bill in any way. Here he is posing the question

:13:21. > :13:28.in the Commons on Thursday. Would he find time, in government

:13:29. > :13:30.time for a debate, should the other place seek to delay beyond the end

:13:31. > :13:34.of March the passage of our accession to Article 50, for this

:13:35. > :13:37.House to discuss the possibility of either the abolition or full-scale

:13:38. > :13:46.reform of the other place? And Oliver Letwin joins

:13:47. > :13:59.me now from Dorset. Welcome back to the programme Mr Let

:14:00. > :14:03.win. Before we come on to the Lord's, can I get your thoughts on a

:14:04. > :14:08.matter that has been making the news this morning and John Bercow's

:14:09. > :14:12.remarks about being a remain voter an giving something of a running

:14:13. > :14:18.commentary on various Brexit issues, has he sqloefr stepped the mark as

:14:19. > :14:25.speaker? -- overstepped the mark. I think this is slightly a fuss about

:14:26. > :14:28.nothing. Every person who thinks about politics will have had some

:14:29. > :14:32.opinion about great matters like Brexit, and I really don't see any

:14:33. > :14:38.particular reason why his opinion shouldn't be known after the fact.

:14:39. > :14:42.I, I was there throughout the five days of the Brexit debate, and I

:14:43. > :14:48.have to say, I thought he was pretty scrupulously fair in the way he

:14:49. > :14:51.handled the House, so, I, I don't really share the view that there is

:14:52. > :14:55.some terrible thing that has been revealed this weekend. Let me come

:14:56. > :15:01.on to what we are here to talk about, which is the Lords. Why have

:15:02. > :15:06.you raised the threat of the abolition of the Lord for doing its

:15:07. > :15:14.job of scrutinising what is coming out the Commons? Well, you know,

:15:15. > :15:18.Andrew, this question of the job of the House of Lords and scrutiny, has

:15:19. > :15:23.to be looked at carefully. There are all sorts of bills that come out the

:15:24. > :15:28.House of Commons which are detailed things that relate to, finance, and

:15:29. > :15:32.expenditure, and the criminal law, and all that sort of thing, and all

:15:33. > :15:37.of that, I admire the work that the House of Lords does, as you say

:15:38. > :15:42.scrutinising and we shouldn't use that word loosely, it means looking

:15:43. > :15:48.carefully at the detail, line by line of complicated legislation,

:15:49. > :15:52.hundreds of Paps in some cases, and spotting, using the considerable

:15:53. > :15:56.expertise many, not all be many of the peers have, in any given field,

:15:57. > :16:00.to identify things where the Commons has got it wrong in the sense that

:16:01. > :16:04.the legislation wouldn't achieve what the Government of the day is

:16:05. > :16:08.seeking to make it achieve. That is a serious proper role for an Upper

:16:09. > :16:12.House and the House of Lords performs it pretty

:16:13. > :16:23.Now this is a very different case. This is a two clause bill. The first

:16:24. > :16:29.clause which is the operative clause says the Prime Minister should go

:16:30. > :16:35.ahead and sign... I understand all that. We haven't got that much time,

:16:36. > :16:42.this is becoming a monologue. There is nothing to scrutinise, Andrew.

:16:43. > :16:47.There were plenty of amendments put before the Commons, none of them got

:16:48. > :16:51.through, it is true. There are eight Labour amendments in the Lords, are

:16:52. > :16:56.you resigned to this bill coming back to the Commons with amendments?

:16:57. > :17:00.No, it should not come back with amendments. There were hundreds of

:17:01. > :17:03.amendments literally put down in the House of Commons, they were all

:17:04. > :17:08.drunk. They were all trying one way or another to derail the process.

:17:09. > :17:15.This is a binary issue, should Theresa May sign the withdrawal or

:17:16. > :17:20.not? What should the Commons do? The Commons has now voted in favour of

:17:21. > :17:29.it. Node do should tolerate and unelected chamber forcing the

:17:30. > :17:33.British people... The people voted in a referendum and the Commons

:17:34. > :17:38.voted. The matter is now signed and sealed and should not be derailed by

:17:39. > :17:43.the House of Lords. On Labour amendment wants confirmation that

:17:44. > :17:46.when it is done, the potential Brexit agreement will be put before

:17:47. > :17:51.parliament before any vote in the European Parliament, that has been

:17:52. > :17:56.an agreed principle, what is wrong with that amendments? The government

:17:57. > :18:00.has already agreed there will be a vote, but actually, what the

:18:01. > :18:05.amendments were seeking was to give the Commons a further vote on

:18:06. > :18:08.whether we actually leave or not. That is already decided. Neither the

:18:09. > :18:13.House of Lords nor anybody else has a right in my view, despite the fact

:18:14. > :18:19.I was a remain, to what the will of the British people. Nobody should

:18:20. > :18:23.think an unelected chamber should now try to change the course of

:18:24. > :18:28.British history by asserting amendments in a very effective on

:18:29. > :18:31.clause bill which says go ahead and trigger Article 50. Are you

:18:32. > :18:34.concerned that amendments by the Lords which would then have to go

:18:35. > :18:42.back to the Commons for consideration, are you concerned

:18:43. > :18:46.that could derail or delay the Prime Minister's timetable for Article 50?

:18:47. > :18:51.Yes, exactly. That would be the result of a prolonged bout of

:18:52. > :18:54.ping-pong between the two houses, or much worse, if the House of Lords

:18:55. > :19:00.failed to give way and the Parliament act had to be used. It

:19:01. > :19:03.would really be intolerable. It is not good for our country. Those of

:19:04. > :19:09.us who voted remain would prefer for that not to happen. The whole

:19:10. > :19:14.country -- it is important for the whole country that this happens in a

:19:15. > :19:18.rapid way and allowing the government free rein to negotiate,

:19:19. > :19:22.that is surely in all our advantages? Deed think any efforts

:19:23. > :19:27.to abolish the House of Lords, an issue you have raised, does that

:19:28. > :19:34.make it easier because your friend David Cameron stuffed the upper

:19:35. > :19:38.chamber with donors, lapdogs and lingerie designers? I was among

:19:39. > :19:43.those who advocated for many years wholesale reform of the House of

:19:44. > :19:47.Lords, to turn it into a serious elected second chamber. I think we

:19:48. > :19:52.should have an upper house which commands legitimacy. This is a

:19:53. > :19:57.second issue. Here we have not got such a House and it seems to be very

:19:58. > :20:01.clear that it should not seek to derail on delay the action which has

:20:02. > :20:06.been mandated by the referendum, agreed by the House of Commons, and

:20:07. > :20:11.what we want to see now is a smooth orderly effect for this bill, so it

:20:12. > :20:16.becomes law and Theresa May can go ahead and negotiate on our behalf.

:20:17. > :20:19.One more question on the process, if the Lords to amend the bill and it

:20:20. > :20:25.goes back to the Commons and the Commons sends these amendments back

:20:26. > :20:32.again, take them out, how long could this ping-pong between the two

:20:33. > :20:37.chambers go on in your experience? It is a very, very interesting and

:20:38. > :20:41.complicated question with the clerks of the two ends of the Palace of

:20:42. > :20:46.Westminster not always agreeing about this. But through certain

:20:47. > :20:50.machinations of slightly changing amendments as they go, in my

:20:51. > :20:53.experience this could carry on for an awful long time if clever people,

:20:54. > :20:56.and there are plenty of clever people in the House of Lords, want

:20:57. > :21:01.to do that and that is precisely why I think we should not tolerate it.

:21:02. > :21:03.Oliver Letwin, thank you for joining us from Dorset.

:21:04. > :21:08.Joining me now is Labour's Leader in the House of Lords, Angela Smith.

:21:09. > :21:14.The Commons passed this bill without any amendments... There were

:21:15. > :21:20.changes, the government did concede a couple of points. But the

:21:21. > :21:24.amendments did not go through. Does that put pressure on the Lords to do

:21:25. > :21:28.the same? I think the Lords always feels under pressure to do the right

:21:29. > :21:34.thing. When I heard Oliver Letwin, I did not know whether to laugh or

:21:35. > :21:40.cry. We will not frustrate, we will not wreck, we will not sabotage. We

:21:41. > :21:44.will do what David Davis said was our patriotic duty. We will

:21:45. > :21:48.scrutinise the bill. We have at amendments from the Labour Party. We

:21:49. > :21:51.will look at those. It depends on the government response if we vote

:21:52. > :21:55.on those. There could be amendments asking the Commons to look again.

:21:56. > :22:01.That is normally what we do. It is not the wrong thing to do. But if

:22:02. > :22:06.you do this and make amendments, it then goes back to the Commons. If

:22:07. > :22:10.the Commons rejects the Lords' amendments, what do you think will

:22:11. > :22:16.happen? I do not see any extended ping-pong at all. It is perfectly

:22:17. > :22:20.legitimate. We are not talking about the outcome of negotiations, we are

:22:21. > :22:23.talking about the process. The process of engaging with Parliament

:22:24. > :22:27.and reporting to Parliament. It would be totally responsible for

:22:28. > :22:30.Parliament to say, off you go, Theresa May, have two years of

:22:31. > :22:34.negotiation and come back and talk to us at the end. The has to be a

:22:35. > :22:39.process where the government can use the expertise of parliament to get

:22:40. > :22:45.this right. But if you do put in some amendments, it has to go back

:22:46. > :22:48.to the Commons, they may well say they don't want those amendments and

:22:49. > :22:53.it may go back to the Lords, could that at the very least delay the

:22:54. > :22:58.Prime Minister's Brexit timetable? I don't think so. She said the end of

:22:59. > :23:02.March. Time has been built in for all the normal processes. I think

:23:03. > :23:05.Oliver Letwin and others are getting a bit overexcited. This is the

:23:06. > :23:09.normal process. Unless the government get things right the

:23:10. > :23:14.first time every time, the has to be this kind of process. These are

:23:15. > :23:18.reasonable amendments. This is a Labour amendment we are talking

:23:19. > :23:31.about here, you want a vote in the UK Parliament before any

:23:32. > :23:35.vote in the European Parliament if and when the Brexit deal is done,

:23:36. > :23:38.the Commons and the Lords get to vote on it first. But the government

:23:39. > :23:42.I think have already agreed to that so what is the point? It needs to be

:23:43. > :23:44.on the face of the bill. It is over well if the government have agreed

:23:45. > :23:49.it. Lord dubs had an agreement about child and look what happened to

:23:50. > :23:54.that. Does not sound as if you would go to the wire on that? It is

:23:55. > :23:59.important it is not just about the vote at the end, you have the

:24:00. > :24:04.ongoing engagement. If it is going to be a bad deal, we need to know

:24:05. > :24:09.long before we get to that stage? Is it something you would hold out for?

:24:10. > :24:15.I don't know yet. It is about how the House of Lords votes, Labour do

:24:16. > :24:18.not have a majority, we never had a majority in the House of Lords when

:24:19. > :24:23.we were in government. It is wrong to suggest that we cannot debate

:24:24. > :24:30.these issues... I don't think anyone is suggesting that. They are. It is

:24:31. > :24:33.not unfair to ask the government to ask the House of Commons to look

:24:34. > :24:37.again to look at those issues if that is what the House of Lords

:24:38. > :24:42.decides. Bit of the House of Commons says we looked, we are sticking with

:24:43. > :24:46.what we voted for, we rejected every amendment by at least 30 votes on

:24:47. > :24:51.all occasions, the Lords then have to buckle, is that what you are

:24:52. > :24:55.saying? Some point I think it is clear the House of Commons have to

:24:56. > :24:58.have its say. I think it is inconceivable that having had a

:24:59. > :25:04.referendum, which was not overwhelming, but it was a clear

:25:05. > :25:06.result, the House of Lords has no intention of sabotaging that but

:25:07. > :25:11.there are things which are not good about the process that we think

:25:12. > :25:15.could be improved. We have not just have the result of the referendum

:25:16. > :25:21.which voted to leave, but we have had the will of the Commons that

:25:22. > :25:27.passed this legislation by a majority of 372. And I am not

:25:28. > :25:32.contesting that for a second! Could you cite a precedent for the upper

:25:33. > :25:36.house amending a bill which passed by 372 votes in the Commons? Quite

:25:37. > :25:39.other things will come to the House of Lords with big majorities from

:25:40. > :25:43.the Commons and quite often the amendments we get, with that then

:25:44. > :25:49.forward and the government sees it could do better. Though not

:25:50. > :25:52.necessarily saying the government has got things wrong, but they could

:25:53. > :25:57.do things better. That happens time and time again and it is not

:25:58. > :26:02.unusual. If you were seen to thwart the referendum result and the vote

:26:03. > :26:07.in the Commons, the elected chamber of parliament, is the threat of

:26:08. > :26:10.abolition hanging over you? I think that is really ridiculous and

:26:11. > :26:13.absolute nonsense. We are not tying to what the decision of the House of

:26:14. > :26:18.Commons, we are trying to do better. It is a bit rich of the government

:26:19. > :26:22.and Oliver Letwin to complain about getting things through in time when

:26:23. > :26:27.the House of Commons spent -- the government spent three months trying

:26:28. > :26:30.to debate this issue. There have been some strong questions put to

:26:31. > :26:34.the government from the House of Lords on all sides. I don't know if

:26:35. > :26:43.the amendments have been passed or not. I think we have a good case for

:26:44. > :26:50.the government to get debate the point. If a traditional MP like

:26:51. > :26:54.Oliver Letwin is calling for the abolition of the hereditary and

:26:55. > :26:57.appointed chamber, and the Labour person like yourself was trying to

:26:58. > :27:03.defend that, that would not be a sustainable position, I would

:27:04. > :27:06.suggest! We saw this with the Strathclyde report as well, this is

:27:07. > :27:09.a government like no other. It is the first Conservative government in

:27:10. > :27:14.history not to have an automatic majority. They do not like challenge

:27:15. > :27:19.or scrutiny. But you get my point, Labour cannot go to the wire in

:27:20. > :27:22.defending and an elected second chamber, can it? Actually, Labour

:27:23. > :27:26.can go to the wire in saying the government does not get it right

:27:27. > :27:33.every time. House of Lords is going to normal processes and people like

:27:34. > :27:36.Oliver Letwin are really getting a little bit over excited, and people

:27:37. > :27:43.who have been anonymously briefing. Who has been anonymously briefing? I

:27:44. > :27:46.don't know, they are anonymous! I understand people want to make

:27:47. > :27:50.amendments, that is the role of the House of Lords, but can I just for

:27:51. > :27:54.the avoidance of doubt, is it still your case that whatever amendments

:27:55. > :28:00.to make, whatever may go back and forward, it is not your intention to

:28:01. > :28:05.stop Article 50 being triggered by the end of March? I have been saying

:28:06. > :28:08.that, exactly that for months and months and months. It is

:28:09. > :28:11.inconceivable that an unelected House will thwart the will of the

:28:12. > :28:15.House of Commons and a referendum on this issue. But that does not mean

:28:16. > :28:20.we will be bullied by Oliver Letwin and others. But the triggering will

:28:21. > :28:26.happen by the end of March? I very much suspect so unless Theresa May

:28:27. > :28:29.has second thoughts, I suspect that will happen. Thank you.

:28:30. > :28:31.Now, just because it's parliamentary recess next week

:28:32. > :28:35.There are two by-elections round the corner -

:28:36. > :28:37.one in Copeland, and another in Stoke-on-Trent Central

:28:38. > :28:38.where the former Shadow Education Secretary,

:28:39. > :28:40.Tristram Hunt, vacated his seat to take up a role

:28:41. > :28:44.as Director of the Victoria Albert Museum in London.

:28:45. > :28:46.But Labour are facing a fight to hold onto the constituency

:28:47. > :28:52.Seconds away, Ukip's new leader has stepped into the ring

:28:53. > :28:54.as their candidate in a by-election bout to see

:28:55. > :29:02.At the last election Ukip came second to Labour here

:29:03. > :29:06.But now they are confident they can land a knockout blow,

:29:07. > :29:13.because this place is packed with people that voted to leave the EU.

:29:14. > :29:16.70% of people voted to leave the European Union.

:29:17. > :29:24.I'm the only candidate standing in this election

:29:25. > :29:27.who is a true Brexiteer, who has always campaigned to leave

:29:28. > :29:30.the EU and therefore I believe I would be the best person

:29:31. > :29:33.But he has had to fight off allegations

:29:34. > :29:35.he wasn't living in the constituency when he entered the contest.

:29:36. > :29:38.Explain to me what is going on with this issue about your house?

:29:39. > :29:41.Well, we took up the lease the day before nominations.

:29:42. > :29:43.Everything we've done is perfectly legal and within the law.

:29:44. > :29:49.The Labour Party are trying to get off the real issues in this election

:29:50. > :29:56.and focus on something which is banal nonsense.

:29:57. > :30:01.And there's been trouble as well for the Labour contender.

:30:02. > :30:03.He's been labelled a Remoaner after he sent a series

:30:04. > :30:06.of anti-Brexit tweets, filled with words

:30:07. > :30:17.I can't believe I'm about to ask this question in a nursery

:30:18. > :30:20.on a Sunday morning TV programme, but did you really tweet that

:30:21. > :30:24.I tweeted many things about Brexit, that's tweet is out there.

:30:25. > :30:27.It was done quite after the referendum result and it

:30:28. > :30:30.was my way of showing my frustration at the fact that months

:30:31. > :30:35.after the result we hadn't had anything from the government.

:30:36. > :30:37.Theresa May had failed to produce any plan,

:30:38. > :30:39.she had failed to give any meaningful statement

:30:40. > :30:41.about what Brexit meant other than bland statements

:30:42. > :30:44.about Brexit is Brexit, and it's a hard Brexit, or a soft Brexit.

:30:45. > :30:48.The context of it was it was out of frustration.

:30:49. > :30:51.So you didn't mean to insult the 70% of the people who live here

:30:52. > :30:55.I never mean to insult anybody and you know,

:30:56. > :30:57.I've made it quite clear, if I'm elected as the member

:30:58. > :31:00.of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central, I will absolutely respect

:31:01. > :31:01.the wishes of the people of Stoke Central.

:31:02. > :31:05.I will make sure my vote in parliament is to trigger Article 50.

:31:06. > :31:08.While the Tories' man has done little bit of rebranding too.

:31:09. > :31:11.I voted Remain and I've been open about that, but my top priority

:31:12. > :31:14.is about the economy and to ensure we still have an

:31:15. > :31:18.Theresa May has set out clear proposal to ensure we develop

:31:19. > :31:28.a trade relationship with Europe and make that a success.

:31:29. > :31:31.It means the Lib Dems and the Greens are the ones battling Brexit.

:31:32. > :31:33.Well, when the Lib Dem candidate is actually here.

:31:34. > :31:39.The candidate is a consultant cardiologist.

:31:40. > :31:42.He is actually at work today doing very important heart surgery.

:31:43. > :31:44.He will be back tomorrow, back on the campaign trail working hard.

:31:45. > :31:48.30% of people voted to Remain and nobody else

:31:49. > :31:52.is representing them, so, you know, it is still a live issue.

:31:53. > :31:54.It is still something people care about.

:31:55. > :31:56.We are only at the start of the Article 50 process

:31:57. > :32:02.We are very a clear that we are standing up for those

:32:03. > :32:05.who want to remain in the single market, who want to protect jobs

:32:06. > :32:09.Labour have taken people for granted in this area for a great many years.

:32:10. > :32:12.Ukip, I'm afraid, all Ukip can offer to politics is division.

:32:13. > :32:15.I've covered a lot of by-elections where Ukip have come second.

:32:16. > :32:17.We'll find out if they really got Labour on the ropes this

:32:18. > :32:37.And here is a full list of all the candidates standing

:32:38. > :32:48.in the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election.

:32:49. > :32:57.They do atract lots of candidates. You can get that on the BBC website

:32:58. > :33:05.as well. I was trying to think back, here we have the main opposition

:33:06. > :33:07.party defending two seats in by-elections in the midterm of a

:33:08. > :33:14.government. All the speculation is where the

:33:15. > :33:19.opposition party can hold on, that is unprecedented. I can't give of an

:33:20. > :33:25.equivalent. You wouldn't just expect them to win seats they have held

:33:26. > :33:31.traditionally, you would expect hem to make inroads into seats held by

:33:32. > :33:35.the other party, I wonder if they fail to hold on to just one of

:33:36. > :33:40.these, whether it accelerates the momentum and criticism of the

:33:41. > :33:44.leadership of the moment. I think they are interesting constituencies.

:33:45. > :33:50.Matthew good win was talking about the left win coalition over the

:33:51. > :33:57.years, almost being too broad for its own good, including places like

:33:58. > :34:02.Primrose Hill and Hackney. Big university towns in Manchester,

:34:03. > :34:11.Bristol. Diverse ethnically and included places like Stoke which are

:34:12. > :34:16.more Conservative. With a small c. Less economically well-off, more

:34:17. > :34:20.diverse, can the left hang on to both bits of country. Recent

:34:21. > :34:23.evidence suggests it cannot and the opportunity for Ukip is to pick up

:34:24. > :34:27.the second of those two types of community, the Stokes and the cope

:34:28. > :34:31.lands. That what makes the by-elections interest I would

:34:32. > :34:36.suggest. It is not just about Mr Corbyn's future about which we hear

:34:37. > :34:40.too much, it is about this traditional Labour coalition, can it

:34:41. > :34:45.still survive, particularly in places like Stoke? Europe clearly is

:34:46. > :34:52.a test. I think it's a myth by the way that Labour are only split now,

:34:53. > :34:56.over Europe and it has always been a Tory problem, last time I was on I

:34:57. > :35:03.mentioned it. That is why we had a referendum in 75. That is why they

:35:04. > :35:08.had a round then. But they were in chaos behind the scenes over what

:35:09. > :35:13.they thought about the euro, skillful leadership can paper over

:35:14. > :35:17.the cracks, and to address the wider issue of whether we are now in an

:35:18. > :35:22.era where left right issues have disappeared, and there is more of a

:35:23. > :35:29.regional divide, if you take Europe out of the equation which you can't,

:35:30. > :35:33.but if you were able to, issues about health, transport housing do

:35:34. > :35:38.split more left-right than a regional divide, so I think there is

:35:39. > :35:44.still fundamental left-right issues, but Europe isn't one of them and

:35:45. > :35:47.Europe has to be managed by a Labour leader skill fully and evidently

:35:48. > :35:52.that hasn't happened now. How would you see the by-elections in the

:35:53. > :35:57.current political context? Labour should be walking them, it should be

:35:58. > :35:59.a sign of the March of the Labour Party taking on the current

:36:00. > :36:03.Conservative Government. I don't think they raise any questions about

:36:04. > :36:06.Corbyn's leadership because the people who put him in don't think

:36:07. > :36:12.that winning elections matter, you have to remember this will be the

:36:13. > :36:16.mainstream media, it will be our fault why any of those Labour

:36:17. > :36:19.candidates don't win, the thing that is interesting is whether there is

:36:20. > :36:23.is a role for Ukip. The argument after the referendum was Ukip has

:36:24. > :36:29.done its job, it got the referendum, nothing to see here, I remember

:36:30. > :36:36.speaking to put a Nuttall before he was Ukip leader, on the day after

:36:37. > :36:40.the battle and he said this is Year Zero, where Ukip starts now, and

:36:41. > :36:43.this, and this is the interesting thing, does, do we see this one

:36:44. > :36:48.particular party having a role in the future? And I think it is all to

:36:49. > :36:52.play for, they could not not have stood in this seat. They have to win

:36:53. > :36:56.it to be an electoral force. The Labour candidate in Copeland has

:36:57. > :36:59.made the NHS the issue for her in this, that goes into the left-right,

:37:00. > :37:05.are we spending enough, are we not? That will be a test of what you were

:37:06. > :37:09.saying to see if traditional left-right issue, which at the

:37:10. > :37:12.moment would play Labour's way I would suggest, are big enough to

:37:13. > :37:16.overcome all the things you have been talking about and Matthew has

:37:17. > :37:20.been talking about. Maybe at this particular junction they are not,

:37:21. > :37:26.but I don't think any of those issues will go away, and that is why

:37:27. > :37:32.I question whether we are see the end of a historic left-right divide.

:37:33. > :37:35.At the moment with Europe so prominent, clearly these

:37:36. > :37:39.by-elections are unusual. And they will be a test of leadership for

:37:40. > :37:43.Theresa May in the coming months if not at the moment, as they have been

:37:44. > :37:48.in a way that he hasn't risen to, for the Labour leader.

:37:49. > :37:52.We will be leave on BBC One on the night, February 23rd off back of

:37:53. > :37:54.this week, we will bring you the result of both these crucial

:37:55. > :37:57.It's just gone 11.35, you're watching the Sunday Politics.

:37:58. > :38:00.We say goodbye to viewers in Scotland who leave us now

:38:01. > :38:14.Coming up here in 20 minutes, the Week Ahead.

:38:15. > :38:16.Hello from Whitehaven on the West Cumbria Coast.

:38:17. > :38:17.The heart of the Copeland constituency.

:38:18. > :38:19.The parties are campaigning hard for an April

:38:20. > :38:22.by-election that will take place now in just 11 days' time.

:38:23. > :38:25.Labour's desperate to win here and hold onto

:38:26. > :38:32.the seat that has a narrow majority of just over 2500.

:38:33. > :38:34.Can they do it, or can the Conservatives in particular

:38:35. > :38:38.In a moment, I will be talking to all the

:38:39. > :38:41.First, Bob Cooper has been looking at some of

:38:42. > :38:43.the issues has been dominating the campaign.

:38:44. > :38:50.Copeland stretches down the west Cumbrian Coast from

:38:51. > :38:52.Whitehaven in the north to Millham in the south

:38:53. > :38:54.and takes in part of the

:38:55. > :39:00.I don't think it is going to be safe in

:39:01. > :39:04.We're going to lose all our services and I am really sad

:39:05. > :39:07.I think the main concern is to be the hospital services

:39:08. > :39:12.Our West Copeland Hospital is being depleted all the time and

:39:13. > :39:15.we know it is a plan to actually move everything to Carlisle.

:39:16. > :39:17.People are keen to protect jobs in the

:39:18. > :39:20.All my family have worked at Sellafield.

:39:21. > :39:22.They have all got grown-up children now who are

:39:23. > :39:26.If it wasn't for that place, they would probably be on the

:39:27. > :39:30.Any other issues that you might vote on?

:39:31. > :39:32.Just to get the town up and running again.

:39:33. > :39:46.This feeling neglect is a common theme in this

:39:47. > :39:48.long held Labour area which voted roughly 60/40 to leave the EU.

:39:49. > :39:50.The parties are fighting hard over this

:39:51. > :39:54.Let's tackle some of those issues now with the seven

:39:55. > :39:58.Let's deal with the nuclear industry first of all.

:39:59. > :40:08.You said you were in favour of a new killer power station

:40:09. > :40:12.in the area, but we know Jeremy Corbyn your leader had a long

:40:13. > :40:14.history of being pretty hostile to nuclear power.

:40:15. > :40:19.Labour was the party that brought civil nuclear

:40:20. > :40:21.to this area and we are a pro nuclear party.

:40:22. > :40:24.My husband works in the supply chain.

:40:25. > :40:26.I am 100% behind the nuclear industry.

:40:27. > :40:29.We need to make investment and to make it

:40:30. > :40:35.We're not getting that commitment from Government.

:40:36. > :40:37.We need investment to make that happen and

:40:38. > :40:40.we need an investment in our health service to support it going forward.

:40:41. > :40:43.Trudy Hammerson for the Conservatives.

:40:44. > :40:45.The Conservatives wanted to play on Jeremy Corbyn's

:40:46. > :40:47.past, but there is no story here, is there?

:40:48. > :40:49.The candidate is firmly behind new nuclear and actually

:40:50. > :40:53.Jeremy Corbyn says he does see it as part of the energy mix in his

:40:54. > :40:56.It is obviously convenient to change your mind during a

:40:57. > :41:01.I think it is absolutely essential that we have

:41:02. > :41:13.I used to work there, my husband works there.

:41:14. > :41:15.It is absolutely essential that we secure that investment.

:41:16. > :41:17.We'll come back to how that might happen.

:41:18. > :41:20.Let's go to the Green party, you are not a party that is

:41:21. > :41:22.particularly friendly to the nuclear energy.

:41:23. > :41:25.You do not want a nuclear power plant in this constituency.

:41:26. > :41:29.That is pretty lethal to your hopes, given

:41:30. > :41:33.That is pretty lethal to your hopes, given the thousands and thousands

:41:34. > :41:40.I think none of the jobs that we currently have in

:41:41. > :41:42.Sellafield are dependent on this new nuclear power plant.

:41:43. > :41:44.We're not opposed to what Sellafield are doing

:41:45. > :41:47.The problem we have is with the new power

:41:48. > :41:49.plant which is not going to

:41:50. > :41:50.provide as many jobs as everyone's saying.

:41:51. > :41:54.I don't think people here are pro-nuclear, I think they are

:41:55. > :42:00.They want other things to be provided for them.

:42:01. > :42:04.If nuclear was so good for this area, we wouldn't have

:42:05. > :42:07.had the VT we just had with people talking about Whitehaven

:42:08. > :42:11.struggling, towns feeling like ghost towns.

:42:12. > :42:14.Liberal Democrats, if you're looking for an MP to push to solve

:42:15. > :42:16.this little bit of uncertainty that is surrounding this power station,

:42:17. > :42:19.we go to the Conservatives, they have the Prime Minister pushing it.

:42:20. > :42:33.We have a very sound nuclear policy and I am

:42:34. > :42:37.an expert in nuclear and could be a great advocate for this industry.

:42:38. > :42:39.I know it inside out and I would strongly disagree

:42:40. > :42:41.with Jack that people are pro-jobs rather than

:42:42. > :42:44.People are pro-nuclear because it makes sense for our

:42:45. > :42:48.If we're going to deliver our carbon targets, we need

:42:49. > :42:53.I will let Jack have a say about that later.

:42:54. > :42:55.Ukip, there has been some discussion about the fact that

:42:56. > :42:58.leaving the EU could likely create more uncertainty about whether this

:42:59. > :43:01.new nuclear power station could happen.

:43:02. > :43:04.We're leaving Euratom, the part of the EU that cooperates in the

:43:05. > :43:07.I really don't think that would be an

:43:08. > :43:10.Actually going forward trade and business will

:43:11. > :43:12.carry on much better outside of the EU.

:43:13. > :43:14.I really don't think that it is an issue.

:43:15. > :43:16.Ukip fully support the development of the nuclear reactors

:43:17. > :43:21.on Moorside and we hope that those jobs will go

:43:22. > :43:24.We have that they are trained up enough there are enough

:43:25. > :43:28.Euratom underpins the nuclear industry.

:43:29. > :43:29.It is important for all our regulation.

:43:30. > :43:30.It underpins our international agreements.

:43:31. > :43:33.Just flip it away as though it is irrelevant and doesn't

:43:34. > :43:36.It doesn't mean that we can't cooperate.

:43:37. > :43:38.We can cooperate, but it can take an awful

:43:39. > :43:41.lot of work and investment, but we don't have the spare nuclear

:43:42. > :43:44.It will cause delays, it will cause miscommunications.

:43:45. > :43:46.That bring in up two independent candidates.

:43:47. > :43:49.Roy Atkinson, your big push is fun renewable energy, isn't it?

:43:50. > :43:55.You go to Whitehaven, if the scientists are right and sea

:43:56. > :43:58.levels rise by a metre you get a storm

:43:59. > :44:01.The centre of Whitehaven is washed away.

:44:02. > :44:05.Also I will put that you that we point out that

:44:06. > :44:08.A few wind turbines are not going to make a

:44:09. > :44:15.No, that's why we will have thousands of them.

:44:16. > :44:24.Michael Guest, trying to make this new nuclear power station happen,

:44:25. > :44:28.Doesn't it require an MP from a big party, not

:44:29. > :44:32.Big parties are pretty strapped with whips.

:44:33. > :44:34.And they were told what to do from down

:44:35. > :44:38.As an independent, I am not constricted in that way, at all.

:44:39. > :44:41.I am pro-nuclear, I see that the nuclear industry in this

:44:42. > :44:47.new build should go ahead and it should be

:44:48. > :44:49.spin offs for centres of excellence should come from those products.

:44:50. > :44:55.They should be basic materials that are

:44:56. > :45:04.Day one as MP, there does seem to be some

:45:05. > :45:07.Toshiba the company the company behind the nuclear power

:45:08. > :45:08.station seems to be reviewing pulling out.

:45:09. > :45:12.I already have a good working relationship with Tom

:45:13. > :45:14.Sampson, the chief executive of Newgen.

:45:15. > :45:17.I will be working with him, Newgen, the Government, to secure

:45:18. > :45:22.What can you do to make sure that the Government...

:45:23. > :45:24.Millions and millions of pounds that will

:45:25. > :45:27.There is no move to that of the Conservative Government,

:45:28. > :45:30.This is the only Government that is actually

:45:31. > :45:35.My background is in securing services and also working

:45:36. > :45:39.I will be taking those lessons to do that.

:45:40. > :45:41.You haven't built anything nuclear in 25

:45:42. > :45:44.years, so how can you say that you are an advocate for it?

:45:45. > :45:49.I am an advocate because I am extremely proud of the world

:45:50. > :45:53.leading skills we have got in this area and I don't think we have been

:45:54. > :45:59.We haven't build any more nuclear reactors

:46:00. > :46:01.We haven't build any more nuclear reactors in 25 years,

:46:02. > :46:05.Are they really serious about nuclear in the energy

:46:06. > :46:07.Firstly, the Conservative Party hasn't been in

:46:08. > :46:10.What is important is that we have committed

:46:11. > :46:16.and we are going to invest in new nuclear.

:46:17. > :46:19.commitment is there and that they are building new nuclear power

:46:20. > :46:23.Labour have chucked it into the long grass under Tony

:46:24. > :46:26.With respect, the Conservatives are not building new

:46:27. > :46:29.They are trying to get private sector to build new nuclear.

:46:30. > :46:32.They are so committed to nuclear that they are

:46:33. > :46:34.stripping away pensions from Sellafield workers.

:46:35. > :46:36.That is how much they respect the nuclear industry

:46:37. > :46:38.and they are not investing it in the infrastructure

:46:39. > :46:55.The health service underpins those jobs.

:46:56. > :46:57.There are many ways to invest the money.

:46:58. > :46:59.They are not investing that money at all.

:47:00. > :47:01.They are not getting any investment to

:47:02. > :47:05.They are expecting the private sector to upgrade railway lines that

:47:06. > :47:13.That is their investment and they're stripping out

:47:14. > :47:15.the other assets made to make it happen.

:47:16. > :47:18.I will allow you to come back on that.

:47:19. > :47:20.We're going to deal with transport and infrastructure

:47:21. > :47:22.Let's deal with the National Health Service.

:47:23. > :47:24.Key services, maternity services, accident and emergency services

:47:25. > :47:33.Involving travel from here to Carlisle.

:47:34. > :47:37.If you look at your campaign literature, you barely

:47:38. > :47:40.I am absolutely not ducking this.

:47:41. > :47:43.My four daughters were born in that hospital.

:47:44. > :47:51.I absolutely oppose the success regime and I oppose the...

:47:52. > :47:53.Where has your opposition been on that?

:47:54. > :47:58.What I have been doing is speaking with the

:47:59. > :48:00.minister, the health Minister Philip Dunn

:48:01. > :48:01.and what we have agreed in

:48:02. > :48:04.writing is that there will be a professionally, Government backed

:48:05. > :48:08.Let me be clear that the issue here is not money.

:48:09. > :48:10.Save our services was formed ten years ago during a Labour

:48:11. > :48:14.The issue here is about recruitment and that is why

:48:15. > :48:16.the nuclear industry plays a big part in this.

:48:17. > :48:18.It will enable us to recruit highly skilled

:48:19. > :48:21.Whether it be for health, education or nuclear.

:48:22. > :48:27.Rebecca Hanson, you want to say something.

:48:28. > :48:31.I have seen the Government report on this.

:48:32. > :48:35.NHS England has come out with a report to say it is safe

:48:36. > :48:38.to travel up to four hours in labour in order to push through the closure

:48:39. > :48:42.It is an appalling report, it doesn't make logical sense,

:48:43. > :48:50.I think all of the candidates are against the success regime.

:48:51. > :48:58.What is important is how we are going to deal with it.

:48:59. > :49:01.Labour are basically saying that this is all at the doors

:49:02. > :49:05.These are local decisions being made by

:49:06. > :49:09.Just asking Theresa May to throw money at this

:49:10. > :49:12.The success regime was sent in at the

:49:13. > :49:16.It was supposed to look at new ways of working at

:49:17. > :49:19.in the health economy of north Cumbria and what it has

:49:20. > :49:22.actually looked at is fitting in within the arbitrary budget given to

:49:23. > :49:27.The recruitment problems are not the Government's doing.

:49:28. > :49:34.They have dogged this area and the NHS for years.

:49:35. > :49:36.Whilst there's uncertainty, people will not come.

:49:37. > :49:39.We have heard of consultants being told not to bother

:49:40. > :49:44.applying because they have been told there won't be a job here.

:49:45. > :49:46.We're not going to get recruitment under those

:49:47. > :49:51.Whilst the Tories are taking money out of the NHS are

:49:52. > :49:54.nationally and locally, we are not going to get people here.

:49:55. > :50:15.Isn't it an intractable problem that you and any other

:50:16. > :50:20.You can't frankly get the doctors and the surgeons and the

:50:21. > :50:28.Why haven't we got any doctors or nurses?

:50:29. > :50:30.The reason we haven't got sufficient doctors and nurses is

:50:31. > :50:40.because previous administrations didn't train enough.

:50:41. > :50:44.The Labour Party cut training places.

:50:45. > :50:46.You just haven't trained enough in this

:50:47. > :50:53.The ones that do work in the health service because it is so

:50:54. > :50:56.there aren't enough staff, they'll leave and go to New Zealand

:50:57. > :51:12.Most of them are from outside the EU, not inside the EU.

:51:13. > :51:14.What we have done is taken doctors from third

:51:15. > :51:16.World countries to come here because we haven't trained sufficient

:51:17. > :51:20.The nuclear policy, we said we need more doctors and nurses and

:51:21. > :51:22.we will waive the tuition fees that we get

:51:23. > :51:25.we will waive the tuition fees that we get sufficient

:51:26. > :51:29.If we'd implemented our policy a few years ago, we wouldn't

:51:30. > :51:32.Jack Lennox, what is the Green party's solution to the

:51:33. > :51:34.problems that have dogged this possible for a long time?

:51:35. > :51:37.I think Caroline Lucas has been more active

:51:38. > :51:39.than almost any other MP in Parliament in promoting the NHS

:51:40. > :51:42.That is trying to underuse the health and social

:51:43. > :51:45.care act of 2012 but was put through by the Lib Dems

:51:46. > :51:48.How does that help the West Cumberland

:51:49. > :51:51.I think the problem is a lot bigger than just west

:51:52. > :51:55.The problem is the underfunding of the NHS Trust.

:51:56. > :51:58.We had this crazy reorganisation by Andrew

:51:59. > :52:00.It wasn't in the Conservative Party's manifesto.

:52:01. > :52:02.It wasn't in the coalition agreement.

:52:03. > :52:04.It just happened, the Lib Dems voted for it.

:52:05. > :52:07.We have got a huge problem here that is much bigger than this

:52:08. > :52:10.place and we need to undo what has been going on.

:52:11. > :52:11.What is the independent's candidate solution to

:52:12. > :52:15.Given that this success regime was full of

:52:16. > :52:16.highly offered people who are looking at this.

:52:17. > :52:21.I would like to see this hospital be ring fenced with NHS funding.

:52:22. > :52:24.I would like to see more money coming in from the nuclear.

:52:25. > :52:29.It should be run by the consultants and staff and people

:52:30. > :52:35.No, that would be a nice start, wouldn't it?

:52:36. > :52:38.It is sitting there, services being sent

:52:39. > :52:43.The centre of all the health for west Cumbria.

:52:44. > :52:47.Quite honestly, I put every single political party in

:52:48. > :52:50.this room together, they haven't got half a plan between them.

:52:51. > :52:59.My plan is that you have got to ask yourself

:53:00. > :53:01.why is the health service having too much pressure on?

:53:02. > :53:03.The answer is people are getting ill.

:53:04. > :53:08.The solution is to stop them getting ill.

:53:09. > :53:09.So the problem is in the food-processing industry.

:53:10. > :53:18.We are going to have to wait a long time for that to solve

:53:19. > :53:24.the problems of the west Cumberland Hospital.

:53:25. > :53:28.Just allow this epidemic to continue?

:53:29. > :53:37.The National Health Service will be overwhelmed.

:53:38. > :53:41.At the end of the day more money is being needed for the NHS?

:53:42. > :53:44.Problems of the NHS and all across the country, that would help,

:53:45. > :53:47.This Government is already invested ?10 million into

:53:48. > :53:52.As I said, save our services was created

:53:53. > :53:54.ten years ago to deal with recruitment.

:53:55. > :54:00.What about the uncertainty preventing recruitment happening.

:54:01. > :54:02.The uncertainty that has been created career, chance of solving

:54:03. > :54:10.What we need to do and what has been agreed by Philip Dunn

:54:11. > :54:12.is to have a professional Government backed review before any decision

:54:13. > :54:19.We created training places and they were cut by the

:54:20. > :54:26.We need more nurses and since they scrapped the training

:54:27. > :54:33.nursery bursaries, they have fallen by 23%.

:54:34. > :54:35.We need more people, more paramedics.

:54:36. > :54:38.Those have been cut by this Government.

:54:39. > :54:45.We need investment in our buildings and everything.

:54:46. > :54:57.The reason you don't have investment is

:54:58. > :55:00.that the Labour policy was buy one hospital and pay for six.

:55:01. > :55:04.You did promise me a chance to come back on health.

:55:05. > :55:06.You can raise the issue, I need to move on

:55:07. > :55:09.On infrastructure, the Conservative Party,

:55:10. > :55:13.I know the neglect has gone on for more than seven years, but

:55:14. > :55:16.you have had seven years to sort out the local road system for instance.

:55:17. > :55:21.My plan would see the A595 re-trunked.

:55:22. > :55:22.That was de-trunked by a previous Labour

:55:23. > :55:25.It think that is absolutely essential.

:55:26. > :55:33.Changing the classification of a road is not

:55:34. > :55:36.going to put any more tarmac down and make it any quicker, is it?

:55:37. > :55:39.Changing the classification is the start.

:55:40. > :55:41.That will allow Highway England rather than the local highway

:55:42. > :55:45.What I want to see is more duelling on the road.

:55:46. > :55:47.Actually from Carlisle down to Barra, but certainly

:55:48. > :55:50.I'm working with John Stevens to improve that.

:55:51. > :55:51.In terms of the local infrastructure?

:55:52. > :56:01.And as part of the debate as well, that journey to Carlisle would

:56:02. > :56:06.The issue would still need to be addressed.

:56:07. > :56:08.To concentrate on infrastructure, we have got such

:56:09. > :56:11.I absolutely agree the de-trunking of

:56:12. > :56:13.the A595 was a colossal mistake and needs to be reversed.

:56:14. > :56:18.The problems are so bad, the A595 is so

:56:19. > :56:20.long and the rail service needs such massive investment,

:56:21. > :56:25.that we get stuck as a community.

:56:26. > :56:30.We need to work better together as a community.

:56:31. > :56:32.There needs to be stronger leadership ringing the councils

:56:33. > :56:34.together and getting everyone talking to each other to prioritise

:56:35. > :56:40.That is what has been lacking and it has been a potential

:56:41. > :56:43.investment like Newgen because things have ground to a halt

:56:44. > :56:47.As I alluded to, this neglect of the transport

:56:48. > :56:48.infrastructure goes long beyond 2010.

:56:49. > :56:51.Labour were just as guilty of doing nothing to improve this area.

:56:52. > :56:54.We invested heavily in this area in public services

:56:55. > :56:57.We invested heavily in this area in public services we had...

:56:58. > :56:59.The roads and railways have been neglected for decades, haven't they?

:57:00. > :57:04.We had investment planned for a new build in

:57:05. > :57:08.West Cumberland Hospital which was scrapped by the Tories.

:57:09. > :57:12.?50 million gone from Whitehaven Academy.

:57:13. > :57:21.It is easy to commit money when you are just about to leave

:57:22. > :57:25.We weren't intending to leave office and what we needed was

:57:26. > :57:36.The plans for the Lillyhall bypass were under a Labour Government.

:57:37. > :57:38.Just re-labelling something as a trunk

:57:39. > :57:42.You only have to look at the existing bits of the

:57:43. > :57:46.They're not being improved because there is insufficient

:57:47. > :57:51.We have a rail line that has been neglected since about 1840.

:57:52. > :57:57.The Greens, largely opposed to building new

:57:58. > :58:00.roads, but actually it is the only solution here.

:58:01. > :58:04.Public transport is not an option in a rural area like this.

:58:05. > :58:07.I think we have a pragmatic approach to this.

:58:08. > :58:09.The public transport is very important that I think it is

:58:10. > :58:11.frustrating that that is being overlooked.

:58:12. > :58:20.There have been many studies done of how rural community

:58:21. > :58:22.their economies are hit disproportionately by cutting public

:58:23. > :58:26.The price to get to Penrith is absurd.

:58:27. > :58:30.Is about a 30 minute journey and it costs ?6.50.

:58:31. > :58:41.We're pragmatic and we understand that

:58:42. > :58:45.Ukip always exploit the neglect and isolation argument in their

:58:46. > :58:49.I read the other day Copeland is the most remote

:58:50. > :58:53.It certainly feels that way because travelling from one end

:58:54. > :58:58.We need investment into the road and rail

:58:59. > :59:00.That in turn will bring more businesses.

:59:01. > :59:04.If we leave the EU, we will have plenty of money.

:59:05. > :59:11.Let us talk to the independent candidates.

:59:12. > :59:18.Isn't the vote wasted on you in this by-election?

:59:19. > :59:32.It is because I'm a lone voice that I can

:59:33. > :59:36.actually make inroads and I can walk into offices and talk to people

:59:37. > :59:37.without somebody putting one arm behind my back.

:59:38. > :59:42.I am standing for the people of Copeland.

:59:43. > :59:44.There is a growing independent minded thinking.

:59:45. > :59:45.People are actually getting really cheesed

:59:46. > :59:47.off with the main setup of

:59:48. > :00:03.You either want somebody to speak to you or you want somebody...

:00:04. > :00:05.Look, these people, they're all political salesmen representing.

:00:06. > :00:07.They will speak for what they are told to speak for.

:00:08. > :00:21.You were'nt a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn in

:00:22. > :00:38.Are you just going to go along with him in Parliament?

:00:39. > :00:40.I'm in the Labour Party to represent the views

:00:41. > :00:46.I have had Jeremy up twice in this election.

:00:47. > :00:54.That is more than Theresa May, who I didn't

:00:55. > :00:59.You're just going to be voting fodder for the

:01:00. > :01:02.What would say is we are all in agreement.

:01:03. > :01:05.We want to save the services of west Cumberland

:01:06. > :01:15.After the excitement and late nights in the Commons last week,

:01:16. > :01:18.MPs are having a little break this week as we head into

:01:19. > :01:22.But there's still plenty in the diary in the near future -

:01:23. > :01:30.let's just remind ourselves of some key upcoming dates.

:01:31. > :01:40.There they are. We have the two by-elections on February 23rd. The

:01:41. > :01:43.budget is 8th March. That will be the last spring budget under this

:01:44. > :01:57.Government because it moves to the autumn.

:01:58. > :02:04.That round of French elections narrows the candidates, probably

:02:05. > :02:09.about eight or nine, down to two, the two who come first and second,

:02:10. > :02:16.then go into a play off round on May 7th. That will determine the next

:02:17. > :02:20.President. Steve, listening to Oliver Letwin and to the Labour

:02:21. > :02:24.leader in the House of Lords, is there any way you think that end of

:02:25. > :02:29.March deadline for Mrs May could be in jeopardy? No, I don't. Andrew

:02:30. > :02:34.Smith couldn't have been clearer with you they would do nothing to

:02:35. > :02:40.block not just Article 50 but that timetable, so I would be surprised

:02:41. > :02:44.if they don't make it. Given her, Theresa May's explicit determination

:02:45. > :02:49.to do so, not to do so would have become a problem for her, I think

:02:50. > :02:54.one way or another... No before this vote last week there was a vote nor

:02:55. > :02:59.the deadline, to agree the deadline by all sides. Plain sailing do you

:03:00. > :03:02.think? There is no serious Parliamentary resistance and it

:03:03. > :03:05.would be a personal embarrassment, I think for the Prime Minister to name

:03:06. > :03:11.the the end of March as the deadline and to miss it, unless she has a

:03:12. > :03:15.good excuse. I I reckon it will change the atmosphere of politics

:03:16. > :03:18.for the next two years, as soon as the negotiations begin, people in

:03:19. > :03:22.our profession will hunt for any detail and inside information we can

:03:23. > :03:26.find, thing also be leaked, I think from the European side from time to

:03:27. > :03:31.time, it will dominate the headlines for a solid two years and change

:03:32. > :03:37.politics. Let me just raise a possible, a dark cloud. No bigger

:03:38. > :03:41.than man's hand, that can complicate the timetable, because the Royal

:03:42. > :03:46.Assent on the current timetable has to come round the 13th. I would

:03:47. > :03:50.suggest that the Prime Minister can't trigger that until she does

:03:51. > :03:56.get the Royal Assent. If there is a bit of ping-pong that could delay

:03:57. > :03:59.that by receive day, the last thing the Europeans would want, they have

:04:00. > :04:06.another big meeting at the end of March which is the 60th anniversary

:04:07. > :04:12.of the Treaty of Rome. They don't want Article 50 to land on the

:04:13. > :04:17.table... It would infuriate everybody. My guess is she will have

:04:18. > :04:21.done it by then, this is between the Commons and the Lords, I mean Andrew

:04:22. > :04:27.Smith couldn't have been clearer, that they might send something back

:04:28. > :04:32.but they didn't expect a kind of a long play over this, so. The Liberal

:04:33. > :04:37.Democrats, they are almost an irrelevance in the Commons but not

:04:38. > :04:42.the Lords, they feel differently. Now, we don't know yet what the

:04:43. > :04:45.European Union negotiating position is going to be, we don't know

:04:46. > :04:48.because there are several crucial elections taking place, the Dutch

:04:49. > :04:53.taking place in March and then the one we put up, the French, and, at

:04:54. > :05:00.the moment, the French one is, it seems like it is coming down, to a

:05:01. > :05:08.play-off in the second round between Madame Le Pen who could come first

:05:09. > :05:12.in the first round and this Blairite figure, independent, centre-leftish

:05:13. > :05:16.Mr Macron, he may well get through and that, and the outcome of that

:05:17. > :05:21.will be an important determine napt on our negotiations. -- determinant.

:05:22. > :05:26.You o couldn't have two more different candidate, you have a

:05:27. > :05:30.national a front candidate and on the other hand the closest thing

:05:31. > :05:37.France could have you to a liberal President. With a small l. A

:05:38. > :05:42.reformist liberal President. It would be the most French thing in

:05:43. > :05:49.the world to elect someone who while the rest of the world is elected

:05:50. > :05:55.elitist, to elect someone who is the son of a teacher, who has liberal

:05:56. > :06:02.views, is a member of the French elite. It would be a thing for them

:06:03. > :06:10.to elect a man like that which I why I see them doing it. If it is Le

:06:11. > :06:14.Pen, Brexit becomes a minor sideshow, if it is Le Pen, the

:06:15. > :06:22.future of the European Union is? Danger, regardless of whether we are

:06:23. > :06:25.were in or out. I suggest if it is Mr Macron that presents some

:06:26. > :06:29.problems. He doesn't have his own party. He won't have a majority in

:06:30. > :06:33.the French assembly, he is untried and untested. He wants to do a

:06:34. > :06:41.number of things that will be unpopular which is why a number of

:06:42. > :06:48.people close to Mrs Le Pen tell me that she has her eye on 2022. She

:06:49. > :06:55.thinks lit go to hell in a hand basket under Mr Macron. He hasn't

:06:56. > :07:00.got the experience. What I find fascinating. It is not just all to

:07:01. > :07:03.play for in France, it is the fact what happens in France and Germany,

:07:04. > :07:10.not so much Holland I think but Germany later on in the year, how

:07:11. > :07:23.much it impacts what we are going to get. How much which ex #i78 panting

:07:24. > :07:25.on them. And at the time we are trying to, withdrawing ourself from

:07:26. > :07:29.European politics it is fascinating how much it will affect us. You see

:07:30. > :07:35.what Matthew was talking about earlier in the show, that what we do

:07:36. > :07:38.know, almost for sure, is that the socialist candidate will not get

:07:39. > :07:44.through to the second round. He could come firth but the

:07:45. > :07:47.centre-right candidate. If we were discussing that monthing a we would

:07:48. > :07:53.say it between teen the centre-right and the national fronts. We are to

:07:54. > :07:57.saying that. Matthew good win who spent a time in France isn't sure Le

:07:58. > :08:02.Pen will get into the second round, which is interesting. It is, I mean,

:08:03. > :08:09.it is going to be as important for the future of the European Union, as

:08:10. > :08:12.in retrospect the British 2015 general election was, if Labour had

:08:13. > :08:15.got in there would have been no referendum. That referendum has

:08:16. > :08:21.transformed the European Union because we are leaving and the

:08:22. > :08:27.French election is significant. We will be live from Paris on April

:08:28. > :08:32.23rd on the day France goings to the first round of polls. Tom Watson, he

:08:33. > :08:33.was on The Andrew Marr Show earlier today, was asked about Mr Corbyn,

:08:34. > :08:38.this is what he had to say. We had a damaging second leadership

:08:39. > :08:42.election, so we've got The polls aren't great for us,

:08:43. > :08:46.but I'm determined now we've got the leadership settled for this

:08:47. > :08:48.parliament, that we can focus on developing a very positive clear

:08:49. > :09:04.message to the British people So Julia, I don't know who are you

:09:05. > :09:09.are giggling. I find it untenable that, he is a very good media

:09:10. > :09:13.performer and he comes on and he is sitting there so well, you know,

:09:14. > :09:18.things are bad but don't worry we are looking at what we can do to win

:09:19. > :09:23.2020. The idea that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were sitting in their

:09:24. > :09:27.offices or on TV screens at this time in the electoral cycle thinking

:09:28. > :09:33.well I wonder if we can come up with a policy the British people might

:09:34. > :09:40.like. It is a nonsense, this is Tuesday night book zlufb. I am going

:09:41. > :09:47.to ask you the question I was going to before. I would suggest that he

:09:48. > :09:54.the right. The deputy Labour leader Tom Watson is violent the leadership

:09:55. > :09:58.is settled, with one caveat, unless the Corbynistas themselves to decide

:09:59. > :10:03.to move on Mr Corbyn, if the left of the Labour Party decides then it is

:10:04. > :10:08.not settled. Settled. If that doesn't happen that is That would be

:10:09. > :10:12.the worst situation if you are a Labour moderate. The Corbynistas

:10:13. > :10:18.would be saying the problem is no Corbynism, it is Corbyn himself, if

:10:19. > :10:23.we a younger person leading the process we can win the next general

:10:24. > :10:27.election, which means you have another itration of this, another

:10:28. > :10:35.five year experiment. And that is worst of all. If you are a Labour

:10:36. > :10:40.moderate, what you want is Jeremy Corbyn contest the next general

:10:41. > :10:43.election, possibly loses badly and then a Labour not moderate runs for

:10:44. > :10:48.the leadership saying we have tried your way, the worst would be Corbyn

:10:49. > :10:53.going, and a younger seven version of him trying and the experiment

:10:54. > :10:58.being extended. I see no easy way out of this. That is why he radiated

:10:59. > :11:03.the enthusiasm of someone in a hostage video in that interview.

:11:04. > :11:10.Maybe he has the Stockholm Syndrome now. The Labour moderates have had

:11:11. > :11:14.their day in the sun, two days in the sun and they lost. I suggest

:11:15. > :11:18.they are not going to try for the hat-trick again. Is there any

:11:19. > :11:25.indication that on the more Corbyn wing of the Labour Party, there is

:11:26. > :11:30.now doubts about their man. Yes, just to translate Tom Watson, what

:11:31. > :11:36.he meant was I Tom Watson am not going to get involved in another

:11:37. > :11:42.attempted coup. I tried it and it was a catastrophe. That is question

:11:43. > :11:48.enhe says it is set selled. It is because there is speculation on a

:11:49. > :11:54.daily basis. I disagree, Julia said I think this lot don't care about

:11:55. > :11:57.winning, I think they do. If the current position continue, one of

:11:58. > :12:01.two things will happen. Either Jeremy Corbyn will decide himself

:12:02. > :12:08.will decide he doesn't want to carry on. He half enjoys I it and half

:12:09. > :12:13.hates it. Finds it a strain. If that doesn't happen there will be some

:12:14. > :12:18.people round him who will say, look, this isn't working. There is another

:12:19. > :12:24.three-and-a-half years. There is a long way to go. I can't see it

:12:25. > :12:29.lasting in this way with politics in a state of flux, Tories will be

:12:30. > :12:34.under pressure in the coming two years, to have opinion polls at this

:12:35. > :12:38.level, I think is unsustainable. Final thought from you.? Yes, the

:12:39. > :12:43.idea it St another three-and-a-half years is just madness, but the

:12:44. > :12:48.people we are putting up at replacement for Jeremy Corbyn, and

:12:49. > :12:52.they have been focus grouping them. Most members wouldn't know who most

:12:53. > :12:56.of people were let alone most of the public.

:12:57. > :13:03.Angela rain? They are not overwhelmed with leadership

:13:04. > :13:07.potential at the moment. Very diplomatically put. Neither are the

:13:08. > :13:09.Tories, but they happened to have one at the moment. All right. That

:13:10. > :13:12.is it. Now, there's no Daily

:13:13. > :13:15.or Sunday Politics for the next week But the Daily Politics will be back

:13:16. > :13:19.on Monday 20th February and I'll be back here with the Sunday Politics

:13:20. > :13:23.on the 26th. Remember if it's Sunday,

:13:24. > :13:25.it's the Sunday Politics... Just back from

:13:26. > :14:07.a very long shift at work... The staff are losing -

:14:08. > :14:13.they're just giving in. Panorama goes undercover

:14:14. > :14:18.to reveal the real cost OK, everyone, have you got

:14:19. > :14:50.your bamboo sticks? If you just paint

:14:51. > :14:51.what you want to paint, I've turned around,

:14:52. > :14:57.my painting washes away. ..and take on

:14:58. > :15:02.The Big Painting Challenge. Remember, you're not painting

:15:03. > :15:06.a pond.