22/04/2012 Sunday Politics North West

And in the North West: Salford's preparing to vote for a

mayor, but does anybody in Manchester know they're getting the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1729 seconds

Hello, I'm Arif Ansari. In the next 20 minutes:

Salford's preparing to vote for a mayor, but does anybody in

Manchester know they're getting the choice to follow in a referendum?

We will come to that hidden vote later. But Salford has already

decided - the city does want a mayor and the election takes place

in 11 days' time. I'll be discussing that with my guests this

week - the Conservative Euro MP Saj Karim, the Labour leader of Salford

City Council John Merry, the Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester

Withington John Leech, and political commentator Jim Hancock.

But let's start by hearing from five of the ten candidates who want

to become Salford's first city 2011 was Salford's and has a

horribilis. I campaigned because I wanted to bring dignity back to the

city. I want to reveal our association within Greater

Manchester. I believe salt but should come first. Decisions should

be fought Salford, Salford people and Salford jobs. I'm going to cut

council tax by 50 %, a freeze council house rents for three years

and protect essential services. I will do this by recalling one of

I want the best for my family therefore I want the best for

Salford families and their -- Salford people and their families.

My priorities will be the elderly and the most vulnerable. I will

work to bring jobs and prosperity This is the chance for everyone in

Salford to have a fresh start. At the moment, we have been dominated

for 40 years by Labour and this year it is the year we can actually

This is a proud city and we need to move the name of Salford into the

future to bring investment, regeneration and most of all, to

reach out tentacles of this city, and that is the reason we need

people like myself. That is the Well, joining me now is Jim Hancock,

a long time political observer of the North West. Are you excited

about the election? I can be excited by a by-election for a

parish councillor so why am the wrong person to ask! In Salford, we

do not have the big actors standing up. It has not attracted the

business community, people from outside what you might describe as

the normal political spectrum. Interesting choices, we heard the

English Democrats won the council tax by 60 %. Community Action Party

want free public transport. The Greens want to cut a third of

councillors, an interesting proposal. BNP won local people to

get housing. A couple of independent as well. They are

attracting attention. Let's take a look at the rest of

I have a passion for Salford because I was born in Bury. I want

to try and reduce crime and the problems with other issues that we

have. As I am independent, other people with ideas can come forward.

I am here for the people of Salford, We speak to people in the streets,

talk about housing, it we feel the weight the system is unfair so I

would like to get rid of that. Industry, jobs, this is what we

I was very honoured four years ago to be elected. It gave me an

insight into the council and how it runs and the problems that are

there within the council. I joined the Green Party. It is a modern

party, a new party and a great idea. It does some great work with in

I would fight against cuts to hospitals and National -- a

national health services. On the Welsh side, the government has

already accepted that their colleges -- policies are damaging

to health. On the well-being side, we would fight against vandalism,

Very proud to be from Salford. Salford needs a strong person that

is going to take them forward. There are a lot of issues around

youth and they need jobs and that is why I am here. I think I can

create jobs and work opportunities Labour has been in charge of

Salford for many years, have they got any ideas to take the City

forward if you won the mayoral election? We certainly have. You

while setting one of our great ideas over the last years which has

come to fruition. We have more ideas about the regeneration of the

city. We have a tremendous record... What ideas have you got? For the

first time since the 1930s, the population has increased. People

want to come and live in Salford. There are a few things we need to

do now. We want to preserve the superior service we give to elderly

people in Salford, we want to preserve the renewal of the city

and we want to make sure that Salford increases in prosperity.

Those are the key issues we are fighting for. But doesn't everyone

want to do that? Clearly, and one of the problems is that Salford has

been under Labour control for an awful long time. There has not been

a massive amount of progress. We have got the BBC here, but

generally speaking, people feel there is not an alternative to

Labour. What policies are you bringing to the table? As a Norman

made the comments in his clipped, he is very interested in local

issues, regeneration issues, making sure we get jobs here into Salford.

But this is very vague. Can the Conservatives bring forward any

actual policies? This is about making sure that local people have

much greater power over local decisions. The Conservative Party

has put for a platform that makes it absolutely clear that it wants

to tackle the issues that Labour has addressed -- resisted

addressing bought so long. The Labour Party campaigned against

having the mayoral elections. Now we have genuine local

representation. First, to tackle the situation of youth unemployment,

Karen has a clear agenda in place to make sure that we will come

forward with the jobs and growth agenda to make sure we have local

people being employed in local jobs, and in particular concentrated on

the use. That includes training and development, and Karen has taken

the initiative to the extent that she has a parliamentary meetings

here in the town hall but I have attended to try and see what we can

do to bring these things to the fore. That is all well and good,

but she has done nothing about the �64 million over two years for this

central government has taken out of the budget of Salford. The reason

they have taken it out is because they have transferred a fair chunk

of that too sudden authorities by decreasing the grant available.

What is the Labour Party's position on this? All we need is an

independent, strong individual who can come forward with a separate

set of policies to what the council is. With all due respect, Karen

will be leader of the Conservative group. The point is that what I

have said is that they had taken �64 million out of the Salford

budget and increased budgets of the authorities like Surrey because

they have given them a two and a half percent up lived on the ground

they get. Is there a general. That people wanted change, they were fed

up with what was going on with the way the council was run and that is

why they went for a Mayer? The fact remains that 18 % voted in the

referendum. Only 10 % voted for this system. 10 % turned out on a

chilly night in January... So you would rather we did not have it?

am on record as saying that, but there is something more important

than the system. The thing that is most important is local government

review in local government. I hope all of us can agree that one of the

problems with this country is it has been too centralised in the

past. If we set the politics aside, the candidates for the Labour, Tory

and the Liberal Democrats are able in their own way, I think Salford

has an opportunity. If Manchester turns down his referendum and

Salford is the only city that has a mayor, Salford does have an

opportunity to project its image and project the City of Salford for

the future. How? Because it will have a strong individual, whoever

it may be, who can push the case for Salford, whereas the problem

for Salford is that it Manchester goes for a Mayer, because the

Salford Mail become peripheral and no disrespect to Salford, to the

Manchester mayor, whoever that is, they will end up being in the

limelight. Well, let's pause and move from

Salford to neighbouring Manchester. On the day of the local elections

there will also be a referendum there, asking if they fancy having

a mayor, too? But perhaps the bigger question is whether anyone

in Manchester even knows it's taking place. Believe me, many

don't. And I've been trying to find out, why not.

It's a question hanging over Manchester - the future of the

city's political system. Stick with a council leader or switch to a

city mayor? This is potentially a big change for Manchester, the city

mayor would be voted for by the people rather than by councillors.

But what's most striking is the almost complete lack of debate in

the city. No surprise then that the Manchester Evening News hasn't had

much of a campaign to cover. The paper's political editor suspects

the Labour leadership would rather the question went away. This is the

first I have heard about. I have heard about the one in London, not

in Manchester. I know there is talk about a may have been elected, but

I did not know about a referendum. No, I had not heard that and that

is surprising because IMA politics student. No surprise that the

Manchester Evening News has not had a big campaign to cover. They are

hoping that what they have achieved, and the fact that business and the

public sector have worked quite well together in Manchester, people

will just see that and this -- and say this is something we want for

Manchester. The man who successfully changed the system in

Salford says a male would re-engage voters. They are not interested in

politics because they don't think they can change them. With an

elected mayor, they can because they get the actual vote before the

Mayer. The business sector -- sector is largely against a mayor,

fearing it would be too disruptive. It is not as if you are changing

the nameplate on the door of an office, you are talking about

creating offices, new powers, new ways of relating to local

councillors. Speaking of power, the government talks about Manchester

getting its own Boris or Ken. One expert on regional government says

that is not what is on offer. mayor of London is Mayer for the

whole metropolitan area. If we translate that to Manchester, it

would be for the whole of Greater Manchester. That is what people are

struggling with. If we went for the London type model, we would need

more support. Because local government works pretty well in

Manchester, there is not much pressure for change. But voters may

prefer a system which allows them to decide who leads the council.

Jim, what is your take on us? Why it is the debate not really

happening? Mancunians feel they have been reasonably well governed

so why fix it? I do want to challenge the political class in

the studio because there is a form on this. A few years ago the

previous Labour government tried to have a referendum and it gave the

money and there was no debate because the councillor class did

not want it. They have tremendous power to suppress the discussion.

And the reason they do not want it? Because they would like to choose

their leaders are amongst the group that forms the council. The

Conservatives have changed the debate and brought it forward, have

mandated veteran -- referendums. I do think it is a shame they has not

been a full-scale debate, but it is an attempt by the Labour Party to

get the no vote. I have a hunch that Manchester will say, Liverpool

has an elected mayor, I think we won one as well. Is that what is

happening here, John? Hardly, if there is a general debate and

feeling, you would be picking it up and the Manchester Evening News

would be picking it up. I don't detect any real sign of Age Concern

in Manchester. But the politicians are not pushing it. It is our fault

rather than the media? We cannot recall what is not their! There is

a referendum taking place, I would have thought you would have given

it a more prominent place. If you are concerned about that. There is

a difference between Manchester and Liverpool. I will reflect on it.

The crucial difference is that Manchester has already got an

agreement with central government about a combined authority and a

great deal about devolution of power down to the 10 local

authorities in Greater Manchester. The fact remains that whatever our

political complexion, I work happily with the leader in Trafford

and with the leader of Stockport, we work as 10 local authorities and

I don't think that we have been particularly weak in putting

forward the view 0.4 Greater Manchester. Both of you who have

interviewed me, have ever accuse me of being weak in terms of fighting

for Salford's interests. I think it is good that 10 local authorities

are working together. I don't see how a man to step Mail would help.

Could it potentially break up the Labour monopoly of power in

Manchester? I have never been in favour of a late bid may years.

There is a danger in Manchester because it is such a high-profile

City that we might get all sorts of independent. The problem in London

is that it has become a beauty contest between two rather are the

politicians, Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. I am not sure that

they are popular. Boris is popular, possibly, the Ken's campaign has

disappeared. In Manchester, there has never been a massive local

appetite for at -- an elected mayor. I don't know whether that is

because people think Manchester is well run or whether they just are

quite happy with the arrangements as they are. If the Conservatives

are so keen on this, and they have been pushing the agenda, why are

they not at their campaign for a referendum? The fact that the

matter is that in Manchester, it is down to the Labour Party and the

Liberal Democrats to be making sure that the general public are aware

of this. We are not in the position that I wish we were in in

Manchester. The Labour Party is doing what they did in Salford,

trying to strangle the idea of birth. They do not want the

Manchester people to have any influence over and above what they

have now on local dishes ins. It is our agenda to try and bring the

power to as local A-level as we can. They will carry on resisting now.

As far as beauty contests up and turned -- are concerned, elections

ought to be fought on ideas. The fact that you have personalities

get involved is not necessarily a bad thing. We will leave it there.

Now it's time for the rest of the week's political news with Gill

Dummigan. The Blackburn MP and former foreign

secretary Jack Straw is facing legal action by a Libyan military

commander who alleges he was illegally taken from Britain to

Libya in 2004 when Mr Straw was in office. Lawyers for the commander

allege that Mr Straw was complicit in torture. UK ministers have

denied this. Salford was one of the places proposed this week as a new

home for the House of Lords. Former Labour cabinet minister Lord Adonis

says it would better reflect the country and save money.

If we want to distribute power across the regions of England,

moving the second chamber has no reason to be in London now. Moving

into one of the big cities of the Midlands or the North might make

sense. Finally, two of the 12 candidates

in Liverpool's Mayoral election are claiming that the council has been

telling them what not to say The Liberal candidate Steve Radford and

socialist Tony Mulhearn say they were both asked to make cuts in

their contribution to the official election booklet. The council says

it was simply helping them to keep A reminder that there's a list of