:00:37. > :00:41.Morning folks. Welcome to the Sunday Politics.
:00:42. > :00:43.Fears that Ukraine could face invasion escalate this morning as
:00:44. > :00:48.Russian forces take control of Crimea. President Obama and his
:00:49. > :00:52.European allies tell President Putin to back off. It doesn't sound like
:00:53. > :00:55.he's listening. Shadow Education Secretary Tristram
:00:56. > :00:59.Hunt has started spelling out Labour's plans for schools. So
:01:00. > :01:05.what's the verdict - full marks or must try harder? He joins us for the
:01:06. > :01:08.Sunday Interview. And all the big political parties
:01:09. > :01:10.are desperate to broaden their appeal. We'll look at some unusual
:01:11. > :01:18.ideas for And in the North West: Suits you,
:01:19. > :01:21.sir, but does the way we tax business premises also measure up?
:01:22. > :01:25.I'll be speaking to the Business Secretary Vince Cable.
:01:26. > :01:31.changes. And tightening household finances.
:01:32. > :01:35.And with me, as always, three journalists who'd make a clean sweep
:01:36. > :01:39.if they were handing out Oscars for political punditry in LA tonight.
:01:40. > :01:44.But just like poor old Leonardo DiCaprio they've never won so much
:01:45. > :01:48.as a Blue Peter badge! Yes, it's Nick Watt, Helen Lewis and Janan
:01:49. > :01:50.Ganesh. Instead of acceptance speeches they'll be tweeting faster
:01:51. > :01:56.than the tears roll down Gwyneth Paltrow's face. Yes, that's as
:01:57. > :02:01.luvvie as we get on this show. Events have been moving quickly in
:02:02. > :02:03.Ukraine this weekend. The interim government in Kiev has put the
:02:04. > :02:05.Ukrainian military on full combat alert after Russia's parliament
:02:06. > :02:11.rubber-stamped the deployment of Russian troops anywhere in Ukraine.
:02:12. > :02:13.Russian troops seem already to be in control of the mainly
:02:14. > :02:17.Russian-speaking Crimea region, where Russia has a massive naval
:02:18. > :02:20.base. President Obama told President Putin that Russia has flouted
:02:21. > :02:28.international law by sending in Russian troops but the Kremlin is
:02:29. > :02:29.taking no notice. This is now turning into the worst stand-off
:02:30. > :02:32.between Russia and the West since the conflict between Georgia and
:02:33. > :02:38.Russia in 2008, though nobody expects any kind of military
:02:39. > :02:42.response from the West. Foreign Secretary William Hague is on his
:02:43. > :02:44.way to Kiev this morning to show his support for the new government,
:02:45. > :02:48.though how long it will survive is another matter. We can speak to our
:02:49. > :02:57.correspondent David Stern, he's in Kiev.
:02:58. > :03:02.As things look from Kiev, can we take it they've lost Crimea, it is
:03:03. > :03:10.now in all essence under Russian control? Yes, well for the moment,
:03:11. > :03:15.Crimea is under Russian control Russian troops in unmarked uniforms
:03:16. > :03:23.have moved throughout the peninsula taking up various positions, also at
:03:24. > :03:29.the Ismis which links Ukraine into Crimea. They've surrounded Ukrainon
:03:30. > :03:35.troops there. Three units have been captured according to a top
:03:36. > :03:39.officials. We can say at the moment Russia controls the peninsula. It
:03:40. > :03:43.should also be said, also they have the support of the ethnic Russian
:03:44. > :03:48.population. The ethnic Russians make up the majority of the population.
:03:49. > :03:55.They are also not entirely in control because there are other
:03:56. > :04:00.groups, namely the Tatar as and the ethnic Ukrainian speakers who are at
:04:01. > :04:06.least at the moment tacitly resisting. We'll see what they'll
:04:07. > :04:12.start to do in the coming days. David, I'm putting up some pictures
:04:13. > :04:17.showing Russian troops digging in on the border between Crimea and
:04:18. > :04:21.Ukraine. I get the sense that is just for show. There is, I would
:04:22. > :04:29.assume, no possibility that the Ukrainians could attempt to retake
:04:30. > :04:34.Crimea by military force? It seems that the Ukrainians are weighing
:04:35. > :04:39.their options right now. Their options are very limited. Any
:04:40. > :04:43.head-to-head conflict with Russia would probably work against the
:04:44. > :04:48.Ukrainians. They seem to be taking more of a long-term gain. They are
:04:49. > :04:52.waiting for the figs's first move. They are trying not to create any
:04:53. > :04:58.excuse that the Russians can stage an even larger incursion into Crimea
:04:59. > :05:03.or elsewhere, for that matter. They also seem to be trying to get
:05:04. > :05:06.international support. It should be said, this is a new Government. It
:05:07. > :05:09.has only been installed this week. They are trying to gain their
:05:10. > :05:16.footing. This is a major crisis They have to count on the loyalty of
:05:17. > :05:19.the army they might have some resistance from solders from the
:05:20. > :05:23.eastern part of the country who are Russian speaking. They probably
:05:24. > :05:28.could count on Ukrainian speakers and people from the centre and west
:05:29. > :05:32.of the country as well as regular Ukrainians. A lot of people are
:05:33. > :05:39.ready to fight to defend Ukrainian Terre Tory. Where does the Kremlin
:05:40. > :05:45.go next? They have Crimea to all intents and purposes. There's a weak
:05:46. > :05:48.Government in Kiev. Do they move to the eastern side of Ukraine which is
:05:49. > :05:54.largely Russian speaking and there's already been some unrest there?
:05:55. > :05:58.That's the big question, that's what everybody's really asking now. Where
:05:59. > :06:02.does this go from here? We've had some unrest in the eastern part of
:06:03. > :06:07.the country. There have been demonstrations and clashes. More
:06:08. > :06:13.ominously, there have been noises from the Kremlin they might actually
:06:14. > :06:17.move into eastern Ukraine. Putin in his conversation with Barack Obama
:06:18. > :06:22.said they might protect their interests there. It should be said,
:06:23. > :06:29.if they do expand, in fact, they've also said they are dead against the
:06:30. > :06:36.new Government seeing it as illegitimate and fascist. It does
:06:37. > :06:39.contain risks. They will have to deal with international reactions.
:06:40. > :06:44.America said there will be a deep reaction to this and it will affect
:06:45. > :06:47.Russia's relations with Ukraine and the international community. They
:06:48. > :06:53.have to deal with the reaction in Ukraine. This may unite Ukrainians
:06:54. > :07:01.behind this new interim Government. Once Russia moves in, they will be
:07:02. > :07:08.seen as an invading force. It plays on historical feelings of Russia
:07:09. > :07:14.being an imperial force. Joining me is MP Mark Field who sits
:07:15. > :07:16.on the security Security and Intelligence Committee in the House
:07:17. > :07:21.of Commons. What should the western response be to these events? I can
:07:22. > :07:31.understand why William Hague is going to Kiev tomorrow to stand side
:07:32. > :07:36.by side whizz whoever's in charge. They need to CEOP sit numbers and
:07:37. > :07:44.also President Putin. The truth is we are all co significant fatries to
:07:45. > :07:52.the Budapest Memorandum of almost 20 years ago which was designed to
:07:53. > :07:56.maintain the integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea. There needs to
:07:57. > :08:01.be a discussion along those lines. The difficulty is President Putin
:08:02. > :08:08.has watched events in recent months, in relation to Syria, it is palpable
:08:09. > :08:13.President Obama's focus of attention ask the other side of the Pacific
:08:14. > :08:17.rather than the Atlantic. The vote in the House of Commons, I was very
:08:18. > :08:22.much against the idea of military action or providing weapons to the
:08:23. > :08:28.free Syrian army. My worry is, events proved this, the majority of
:08:29. > :08:33.the other options toed as sad are rather worse. It is clear now we are
:08:34. > :08:38.in a constitutional mess in this country. We cannot even contemplate
:08:39. > :08:40.military action without a parliamentary vote that moves
:08:41. > :08:46.against quick reaction that is required from the executive or, I
:08:47. > :08:54.suspect, there will be very little appetite for any military action
:08:55. > :08:59.from the West over in Ukraine. We are corn tours under the agreement
:09:00. > :09:02.of less than 20 years ago. We may be but we've guaranteed an agreement
:09:03. > :09:07.which it is clear we haven't the power to enforce. You wrote this
:09:08. > :09:13.morning, Britain is a diminished voice. Clams Iley navigating the
:09:14. > :09:17.Syrian conflict we relick wished decisions to the whims of
:09:18. > :09:25.parliamentary approval. That may or may not be but the Kremlin's not
:09:26. > :09:30.watching how we voted on the Syrian issue? In relation to Syria, it was
:09:31. > :09:36.where is the western resolve here. The truth ask Putin's position is
:09:37. > :09:41.considerably less strong. In diplomatic terms. He had a victory
:09:42. > :09:46.in Syria in relation to chemical weapons and in relation to the
:09:47. > :09:53.West's relationship with Iran. Putin is a vital inter locking figure In
:09:54. > :09:58.demographic and economic terms, Russia's in very deep trouble. The
:09:59. > :10:04.oil price started to fall to any degree, oil and gas price, given the
:10:05. > :10:09.importance of mineral wealth and exports for the Russian economy
:10:10. > :10:16.Putin would be in a lot of trouble. It requires an engagement from the
:10:17. > :10:19.EU and the EU are intending to look at their internal economic problems
:10:20. > :10:24.and will be smarting from the failure within a matter of hours of
:10:25. > :10:29.the deal they tried to broker only nine days' ago.
:10:30. > :10:32.You say if Mr Putin decides to increase the stakes and moves into
:10:33. > :10:38.the east, takes over the whole place, our Government, you say, will
:10:39. > :10:42.find itself with another colossal international headache. Some people
:10:43. > :10:46.watching this will be thinking, what's it got to do with us? It s a
:10:47. > :10:52.long way away from Britain. We haven't a dog in this fight? We have
:10:53. > :10:58.in this regard for the longer term here. I think if there were to be
:10:59. > :11:02.some military action in Ukraine the sense of Russia taking over, it
:11:03. > :11:07.could have a major impact on the global economy in very quick order.
:11:08. > :11:11.You should not deny that. There will be move to have sanctions against
:11:12. > :11:18.Russia. The escalation of that will be difficult. The other fact is
:11:19. > :11:25.looking at our internal affairs and reform, partners, the Baltic states,
:11:26. > :11:29.Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, they will be looking at a resurgent
:11:30. > :11:35.Russia now and think they'll need to hold as tightly as possible to the
:11:36. > :11:42.EU institutions and the power of Germany at the centre of that. This
:11:43. > :11:47.whole appetite for the reforms politically and economically will be
:11:48. > :11:52.closed very much within a matter of a short period of time. It has
:11:53. > :12:02.longer term implications. Mark Field, thank you.
:12:03. > :12:06.We're joined now by BBC News night's Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban. Is
:12:07. > :12:13.there any prospect of a western military response? Clearly at the
:12:14. > :12:18.moment, it is nil. The boat has sailed with the Crimean. It has been
:12:19. > :12:25.per performed by Russian forces It is now a matter of coordinating a
:12:26. > :12:31.plate cal line. European foreign ministers tomorrow. To say what will
:12:32. > :12:35.our future limits be? Where could we possibly draw red lines? To try to
:12:36. > :12:41.think a couple of steps down this, what happens if Russia interrupts
:12:42. > :12:44.energy supplies to EU member states ornate owe countries? These are the
:12:45. > :12:48.important steps they have to think about. It is quite clear we are in a
:12:49. > :12:54.different world here now. Also, Ukraine is facing a urgent foreign
:12:55. > :12:59.exchange crisis. Within literally a few weeks they could run out of
:13:00. > :13:03.money. All of these are rushing towards decision makers very fast.
:13:04. > :13:09.There is an interim and I suggestion unstable Government in Kiev. Crimea
:13:10. > :13:12.semi-to be under Russian control. There are clashes between the
:13:13. > :13:17.reformers and Russian nationals in the east of the country. What does
:13:18. > :13:21.Mr Putin do next? He has lots of options, of course. He has this
:13:22. > :13:28.carte blanch carte blanch from his Parliament to go in to the rest of
:13:29. > :13:33.Ukraine if he wants to. His military deployment suggests the one bite at
:13:34. > :13:37.a time, just Crimea to start with. See what response comes from the
:13:38. > :13:41.Ukrainian Government. Of course so far, there hasn't been a coherent
:13:42. > :13:46.response. The really worrying thing about recent months, not just recent
:13:47. > :13:52.days, are the indications that the future of Ukraine as a unitary state
:13:53. > :13:59.is now in doubt. Look at it from the other side of the equation. The
:14:00. > :14:03.President when faced with demonstrations, many extremists he
:14:04. > :14:08.was unable to deal with that. Now we have the other side, if you like,
:14:09. > :14:14.the Russian speakers, the other side of the fight, Russian nationalists
:14:15. > :14:21.showing they can get away with unilateral action more or less with
:14:22. > :14:26.impunity. The Ukrainian chiefs have been sacked. I think there are
:14:27. > :14:33.considerable questions now as to whether Ukraine is falling apart
:14:34. > :14:36.and, if that happens, we're into a Yugoslav-type situation which will
:14:37. > :14:44.continue posing very serious questions for the EU and NATO for
:14:45. > :14:52.months or years to come. So, Janan, Ukraine is over? Where the west to
:14:53. > :14:57.concede to the Russian in Crimea, it would perversely be a net loss for
:14:58. > :15:03.Russia. You'd assume the rest of Ukraine would become an un
:15:04. > :15:12.unambiguously a member of the the EU, maybe NATO. On top of that a
:15:13. > :15:16.Russian dream of Eurasion dream they will look at Putin's behaviour
:15:17. > :15:21.and is a, no, thanks, we'll head towards the EU. It is a short-term
:15:22. > :15:35.victory for Putin which backfires on his broader goals in Well, many
:15:36. > :15:40.people said if he grabs Crimea, he loses Ukraine, which is your point.
:15:41. > :15:46.We have seen violent demonstrations in the big eastern cities in Ukraine
:15:47. > :15:51.yesterday. People taking control of certain buildings. The risk is there
:15:52. > :15:55.of spreading beyond Crimea. I think the lack of any unified or visible
:15:56. > :15:59.response from Ukrainian armed forces... They allowed Russian
:16:00. > :16:03.troops to walk into the bases in Crimea. They have supposedly gone on
:16:04. > :16:06.red alert but they have done absolutely nothing. We don't see
:16:07. > :16:10.them deploying from barracks. There are serious questions about whether
:16:11. > :16:19.they would just fall apart. Putin is not going to let them split away. I
:16:20. > :16:23.would have thought he would like the entire Ukraine to come into the
:16:24. > :16:28.Russian ambit. Barack Obama is saying this will not stand. He has a
:16:29. > :16:33.90 minute conversation with Vladimir Putin and what is his response? I am
:16:34. > :16:40.suspending my cooperation in the run-up to the Sochi Summit. What is
:16:41. > :16:44.the EU doing? Nothing. There is nothing they can do and Putin knows
:16:45. > :16:49.there are a series of lines that he is able to cross and get away with
:16:50. > :16:55.it. Why should Berlin, London, Washington be surprised by the
:16:56. > :17:00.strength of Vladimir Putin's reaction? It was never going to let
:17:01. > :17:05.Ukraine just fall into the arms of the EU. That is the interesting
:17:06. > :17:09.point. And who does he listen to? Paddy Ashdown was saying sent Angela
:17:10. > :17:13.Merkel because she is the only person who can talk to him and I
:17:14. > :17:17.find that response worrying. We need to speak with a united voice but
:17:18. > :17:21.nobody knows what we should be saying. Military intervention is out
:17:22. > :17:26.for the West so we go to economic sanctions. Doesn't Vladimir Putin
:17:27. > :17:32.just say, oh, you want sanctions? I have turned off the gas tap. Yes, it
:17:33. > :17:36.is move and countermove, and it is difficult to predict where it will
:17:37. > :17:42.end up. In all these meetings that are being held, they do think a step
:17:43. > :18:13.or two ahead and try and set out clear lines. Thank you for coming in
:18:14. > :18:16.this morning. Labour has been struggling since
:18:17. > :18:18.2010 to decide exactly how to take education secretary Michael Gove,
:18:19. > :18:20.one of the boldest reformers of the coalition and most divisive figures.
:18:21. > :18:22.Ed Miliband appointed TV historian Tristram Hunt and many thought
:18:23. > :18:25.Labour had found the man to teach Michael Gove a lesson. But how much
:18:26. > :18:27.do we really know about the party's plans for England's schools? Wales,
:18:28. > :18:30.Scotland and Northern Ireland are a devolved matter. Child has been back
:18:31. > :18:32.to school to find out. A politician once told me, do you know why
:18:33. > :18:34.education secretaries changed schools? Because they can. Michael
:18:35. > :18:37.Gove might dispute the motive but he is changing schools, like this one.
:18:38. > :18:39.The changes he is ringing in our encouraging them to be academies,
:18:40. > :18:41.free from local authorities to control their own budgets, ushering
:18:42. > :18:43.in free schools, focusing on toughening exams and making them the
:18:44. > :18:47.core of the curriculum with less coursework, and offering heads more
:18:48. > :18:52.discretion on tougher discipline. And he is in a hurry to put all this
:18:53. > :18:57.in place. But has that shut out any chance for a Labour Government to
:18:58. > :19:02.change it all themselves and do they really want to? Any questions?
:19:03. > :19:07.Visiting a different school, first in line to get a crack at that
:19:08. > :19:10.would-be Labour's third shadow education secretary since 2010,
:19:11. > :19:14.Tristram Hunt. In post, he has not been taken about fine tuning
:19:15. > :19:18.previous direct opposition to free schools and he has also suggested
:19:19. > :19:22.teachers in England would have to be licensed under a Labour Government,
:19:23. > :19:26.allowing the worst to be sacked and offering training and development to
:19:27. > :19:30.others and of course ending coalition plans to allow unqualified
:19:31. > :19:40.teachers into classrooms. Full policy detail is still unmarked
:19:41. > :19:46.work. Your opinion about evolution? What is very clear is that Labour's
:19:47. > :19:50.education policy is still evolving. We are learning that they have some
:19:51. > :19:55.clear water, but we also seem, from the sting at the back, to get the
:19:56. > :19:58.feeling that there is not a great deal of difference from them and the
:19:59. > :20:03.current Government on types of schools and the way education should
:20:04. > :20:09.proceed. -- from listening at the back. So what exactly is different
:20:10. > :20:14.about their policy? What Tristram Hunt's job is to do is to be open
:20:15. > :20:18.and honest about the shared agenda between us and the Tories. There are
:20:19. > :20:22.a lot of areas where there is clear water between us and Tristram Hunt
:20:23. > :20:27.as to turn his back, shared agenda, stop fighting it, and forge our
:20:28. > :20:33.agenda, which I think people will be really interested in. The art of
:20:34. > :20:38.Government, of course, is to balance competing pictures of policy, even
:20:39. > :20:42.inside your own party. It is fair to say that if Labour reflects and
:20:43. > :20:46.draws its own visions of a shared agenda, it might have to square that
:20:47. > :20:50.idea with teaching unions, who are already unhappy with the pace and
:20:51. > :20:55.tone of change that the Government had sketched out. What we sincerely
:20:56. > :20:59.hope is that if Labour were to form the next Government, that they would
:21:00. > :21:21.look at a serious review of accountability measures. That is
:21:22. > :21:24.really what ways on teachers every single day. Actually they would look
:21:25. > :21:26.at restoring the possibility, for example, of local councillors to be
:21:27. > :21:29.able to open schools. That seems eminently sensible. If they are not
:21:30. > :21:31.going to move back from the free schools and academies programme at
:21:32. > :21:34.the very least they need to say that academy chains will be inspected
:21:35. > :21:36.because at the moment they are not. Labour have balls in the air on
:21:37. > :21:38.education and are still throwing around precise policy detail. There
:21:39. > :21:41.are areas that they could grab hold of and seize possession. A focus on
:21:42. > :21:43.the rounding of the people, developing character, the impact of
:21:44. > :21:45.digitalisation on the classroom Also the role and handling of
:21:46. > :21:50.teachers in the system and the interdependence of schools. That is
:21:51. > :21:54.all still to play for. Currently I think the difference between the
:21:55. > :21:59.parties is that the coalition policies, while we do not agree with
:22:00. > :22:03.all of them, are clear and explicit, and Labour's policies are yet to be
:22:04. > :22:10.formulated in a way that everybody can understand clearly. I don't
:22:11. > :22:17.think that Tristram Hunt or Miliband will want to pick unnecessary fights
:22:18. > :22:23.before the election. I think we will have quite a red, pinkish fuzziness
:22:24. > :22:29.around the whole area of policy but after the election there will be
:22:30. > :22:34.grey steel from Tristram Hunt. But if fuzzy policy before the election
:22:35. > :22:37.is the lesson plan, it does rather risk interested voters being left in
:22:38. > :22:48.the dark. Tristram Hunt joins me now for the
:22:49. > :22:54.Sunday interview. Welcome. Thank you. Which of Michael
:22:55. > :22:58.Gove's school reforms would you repeal? We are not interested in
:22:59. > :23:01.throwing a change for the sake of it. When I go round schools,
:23:02. > :23:05.teachers have been through very aggressive changes in the last three
:23:06. > :23:08.years, so when it comes to some of the curriculum reforms we have seen,
:23:09. > :23:12.we are not interested in changing those for the sake of it. Where we
:23:13. > :23:17.are interested in making change is having a focus on technical and
:23:18. > :23:22.vocational education, making sure that the forgotten 15% is properly
:23:23. > :23:25.addressed in our education system. What we saw in your package was an
:23:26. > :23:29.interesting description of how we have seen structural reforms in the
:23:30. > :23:33.names of schools. Academies, free schools, all the rest of it.
:23:34. > :23:36.International evidence is clear that it is the quality of leadership of
:23:37. > :23:39.the headteachers and the quality of teaching in the classroom that
:23:40. > :23:44.transforms the prospects of young people. Instead of tinkering around
:23:45. > :23:48.the names of schools, we focus on teacher quality. Viewers will be
:23:49. > :24:04.shocked to note that this Government approves of unqualified teachers in
:24:05. > :24:06.the classroom. We want to have fully qualified, passionate, motivated
:24:07. > :24:09.teachers in the classroom. It sounds like you might not repeal anything.
:24:10. > :24:11.You might build on it and you might go in a different direction, with
:24:12. > :24:13.more emphasis on technological education but no major repeal of the
:24:14. > :24:17.reforms of Michael Gove? I don't think you want to waste energy on
:24:18. > :24:22.undoing reforms. In certain situations they build on Labour
:24:23. > :24:27.Party policy. We introduced the sponsored academy programmes and we
:24:28. > :24:32.began the Teach First programmes, and we began the London challenge
:24:33. > :24:36.which transformed the educational prospects of children in London We
:24:37. > :24:40.want to roll that out across the country. You have said there will be
:24:41. > :24:45.no more free schools, which Michael Gove introduced, but you will allow
:24:46. > :24:53.parents let academies, which just means free schools by a different
:24:54. > :24:58.name. No, because they will be in certain areas. We want to create new
:24:59. > :25:01.schools with parents. What we have at the moment is a destructive and
:25:02. > :25:05.market-driven approach to education. I was in Stroud on
:25:06. > :25:10.Thursday and plans for a big new school, in an area with surplus
:25:11. > :25:15.places, threatened to destroy the viability of local, rural schools.
:25:16. > :25:18.We want schools to work together in a network of partnership and
:25:19. > :25:22.challenge, rather than this destructive market-driven approach.
:25:23. > :25:48.You say that, but your version of free schools, I think, would only be
:25:49. > :25:50.allowed where there is a shortage of places. That means that where there
:25:51. > :25:53.is an excess of bad schools, parents will have no choice. They still have
:25:54. > :25:56.to send their kids to bad schools. And we have to transform bad schools
:25:57. > :25:58.and that was always the Labour way in Government. At the moment we just
:25:59. > :26:00.have an insertion of new schools. Schools currently underperforming
:26:01. > :26:02.are now underperforming even more. Children only have one chance at
:26:03. > :26:05.education. What about their time in school? Our focus is on the
:26:06. > :26:07.leadership of the headteacher and having quality teachers in the
:26:08. > :26:10.classroom. So they cannot set up new better schools and they have to go
:26:11. > :26:13.to the bad schools. Tony Blair said it should be easier for parents to
:26:14. > :26:16.set up new schools where they are dissatisfied with existing schools.
:26:17. > :26:19.You are not saying that. Even where they are dissatisfied with existing
:26:20. > :26:24.schools, they cannot set up free schools and you are reneging on
:26:25. > :26:29.that. We live in difficult economic circumstances where we have got to
:26:30. > :26:36.focus public finances on the areas of absolute need. We need 250,0 0
:26:37. > :26:39.new school places. 150,000 in London alone. We have to focus on building
:26:40. > :26:48.new schools and where we have to put them. And secondly... Absolutely
:26:49. > :26:53.not. Focusing on those schools. Making sure we turned them around,
:26:54. > :26:56.just as we did in Government. We have had a remarkable degree of
:26:57. > :27:00.waste under the free school programme. If you think of the free
:27:01. > :27:05.school in Derby, the Academy in Bradford, and as we saw in the
:27:06. > :27:09.Telegraph on Friday, the free schools in Suffolk, a great deal of
:27:10. > :27:12.waste of public money on underperforming free schools. That
:27:13. > :27:16.is not the Labour way. We focus on making sure that kids in schools at
:27:17. > :27:22.the moment get the best possible education. Except that in your own
:27:23. > :27:29.backyard, in Stoke, only 34% of secondary school pupils attend a
:27:30. > :27:34.good or outstanding school. 148 out of 150 of the worst performing local
:27:35. > :27:37.authorities and it is Labour-controlled. Still terrible
:27:38. > :27:43.schools and yet you say parents should not have the freedom to start
:27:44. > :27:46.a better school. We have great schools in Stoke-on-Trent as well.
:27:47. > :27:51.We face challenges, just as Wolverhampton does and the Isle of
:27:52. > :27:56.Wight and Lincolnshire. Just like large parts of the country. What is
:27:57. > :28:00.the solution to that? Making sure we share excellence among the existing
:28:01. > :28:03.schools and making sure we have quality leadership in schools. Those
:28:04. > :28:08.schools in Stoke-on-Trent are all academies. It is not a question only
:28:09. > :28:11.of structure but of leadership. It is also a question of going back to
:28:12. > :28:15.the responsibility of parents to make sure their kids are school
:28:16. > :28:50.ready when they get to school. To make sure they are reading to their
:28:51. > :28:52.children in the evening. We can t put it all on teachers. Parents have
:28:53. > :28:55.responsibilities. I understand that but you have told me Labour's policy
:28:56. > :28:58.would not be to set up new schools which parents hope will be better.
:28:59. > :29:00.Parents continue to send their kids to bad schools in areas like Stoke.
:29:01. > :29:03.Labour has had plenty of time to sort out these schools in Stoke and
:29:04. > :29:05.they are still among the worst performing in the country. You are
:29:06. > :29:08.condemning these parents to having to send their kids to bad schools.
:29:09. > :29:11.Where we have seen the sett ing up of Derby, Suffolk, we have seen that
:29:12. > :29:14.is not the simple solution. Is simply setting up a new is not a
:29:15. > :29:16.successful model. What works is good leadership. I was in Birmingham on
:29:17. > :29:18.Friday at a failing comprehensive is not a successful model. What works
:29:19. > :29:21.is good leadership. I was in Birmingham on Friday at a failing
:29:22. > :29:23.comprehensive school and now people are queueing round the block to get
:29:24. > :29:25.into it. You can turn around schools with the right leadership,
:29:26. > :29:29.passionate and motivated teachers, and parents engaged with the
:29:30. > :29:35.learning outcome of their kids. In the last few years of the Labour
:29:36. > :29:38.Government, only four kids from your this Government would set up the new
:29:39. > :29:41.school. In Birmingham, they got in a great headmaster and turned the
:29:42. > :29:43.school around and now people are queueing round the block to get into
:29:44. > :29:45.it. You can turnaround schools with the right leadership, passionate and
:29:46. > :29:48.motivated teachers, and parents engaged with the learning outcome of
:29:49. > :29:50.their kids. In the last few years of a Labour Government, only four kids
:29:51. > :29:54.from your area of and you had plenty of chances to put this right but
:29:55. > :29:57.only four got to the two and you had plenty of chances to put this right
:29:58. > :30:03.but only four got to the two leading universities. Traditionally young
:30:04. > :30:07.people could leave school at 16 and walking two jobs in the potteries,
:30:08. > :30:09.the steel industry, the traditionally young people could
:30:10. > :30:15.leave school at 16 and walking two jobs in the potteries, the steel
:30:16. > :30:21.industry, the but also to get an apprenticeship at Jaguar Land
:30:22. > :30:26.Rover, JCB, Rolls-Royce. That is why Ed Miliband's focus on the forgotten
:30:27. > :30:30.15%, which we have just not seen from this Government, focusing on
:30:31. > :30:51.technical and vocational pathways, is fundamental to Your headmaster
:30:52. > :30:59.was guiles Slaughter. Was he a good teacher? He He never taught me.
:31:00. > :31:04.Over 90% of teeners in the private sector are qualified. They look for
:31:05. > :31:09.not simply teachers with qualified teacher status. Teachers with MAs.
:31:10. > :31:11.Teachers who are improving them cephalitis. Becoming better
:31:12. > :31:21.educators. cephalitis. Becoming better
:31:22. > :31:25.teaching. You were taught by unqualified teachers. Your parents
:31:26. > :31:29.paid over ?15,000 a year for you being taught by unqualified
:31:30. > :31:32.teachers. Why did you make such a big deal of it? Because we've seen
:31:33. > :31:38.right around the world those education systems which focus on
:31:39. > :31:44.having the most qualified teachers perform the best. It cannot be right
:31:45. > :31:50.that anyone can simply turn up, as at the moment, have schools at
:31:51. > :31:55.veritising for unqualified teachers teaching in the classroom. We want
:31:56. > :32:01.the best qualified teachers with the deepest subject knowledge, for the
:32:02. > :32:07.passion in learning for their kids. It is absurd we are having arguments
:32:08. > :32:10.about this. Simply having a paper qualification doesn't make you a
:32:11. > :32:17.great teacher. Let me take you to Brighton college. It is gone from
:32:18. > :32:20.the 147th to the 18 18th best private school in the land. Fllt the
:32:21. > :32:42.headmaster says: This is the top Sundaytimes school
:32:43. > :32:48.of the year. The school in derby where this Government allowed
:32:49. > :32:53.unqualified teaching assist taints. We had teachers who could barely
:32:54. > :32:57.speak English. That is because if you have unqualified teachers you
:32:58. > :33:01.end up with a dangerous situation. The problem with that school was not
:33:02. > :33:07.unqualified teachers. People were running that school who were unfit
:33:08. > :33:11.to run a school. We have an issue about discipline and behaviour
:33:12. > :33:15.management in some of our schools. Some of the skills teachers gain
:33:16. > :33:19.through qualifications and learning is how to manage classes and get the
:33:20. > :33:24.best out of kids at every stage It doesn't end with a qualified teacher
:33:25. > :33:29.status. That's just the beginning. We want our teachers to have
:33:30. > :33:34.continue it will development. It is not good enough to have your initial
:33:35. > :33:40.teacher trainingaged work through your career for 30 years. You need
:33:41. > :33:45.continual learning. Learning how to deal with digital technology.
:33:46. > :33:50.Refresh your subject knowledge. As an historian I help teachers. You've
:33:51. > :33:56.taught as an unqualified teacher. Not in charge of a subject group. I
:33:57. > :34:01.give the odd lecture. I'm-y to go to as many schools as possible. I don't
:34:02. > :34:07.blame you. It is uplifting. Would you sack all unqualified teachers?
:34:08. > :34:14.We'd want them all to gain teacher status. What if they say no? If they
:34:15. > :34:20.are not interested in improving skills and deepening their knowledge
:34:21. > :34:27.they should not be in the classroom. If a free school or academy hired a
:34:28. > :34:32.teach thinking they are a great teacher but unqualified, if they are
:34:33. > :34:36.then forced by you to fire them they will be in breach of the law.
:34:37. > :34:41.They are being urged by us to make sure they have qualified teacher
:34:42. > :34:45.status. We've lots of unqualified teachers as long as they are on the
:34:46. > :34:49.pathway to making sure they are qualified. But if they say they
:34:50. > :34:53.don't want to do this, will you fire them? It is not an unreasonable
:34:54. > :34:58.suggestion is that the teachers in charge of our young people have
:34:59. > :35:03.qualifications to teach and inspire our young people particularly when
:35:04. > :35:10.we face global competition from Shanghai, Korea and so on. The head
:35:11. > :35:15.teacher of Brighton college finds incredibly inspeechational teachers
:35:16. > :35:20.who don't' necessarily have a teaching qualifications. It is a
:35:21. > :35:26.different skill to teach ten young nice boys and girls in Brighton to
:35:27. > :35:30.teaches 20 or 30 quids with challenging circumstances, special
:35:31. > :35:35.educational needs, different ability. Being a teacher at Brighton
:35:36. > :35:42.college is an easy gig in comparison to other schools. Where we want
:35:43. > :35:46.teachers to have a capacity to teach properly. Do you think Tristram
:35:47. > :35:53.could ever lead the Labour Party? I think Ed is a great leader, the
:35:54. > :35:57.reforms yesterday were a real sign for his leadership. And the fact
:35:58. > :36:02.David Owen, the man with a pre-history with our party is back
:36:03. > :36:06.with us. It is great. Even Gideon had to change his name to George.
:36:07. > :36:16.Have you thought of switching to Tommy or Tony? Maybe not Tony!
:36:17. > :36:20.Michael Foot was called Dingle Foot. I love the Labour because it accepts
:36:21. > :36:25.everybody from me to Len McCluskey. We are a big, broad happy family on
:36:26. > :36:30.our way to Government. Thank you very much.
:36:31. > :36:35.You're watching The Sunday Politics. We say goodbye to viewers in
:36:36. > :36:38.Scotland who leave us for Sunday politics Scotland. In over 20
:36:39. > :36:50.minutes I'll look at I'm Arif Ansari. Coming up in the
:36:51. > :37:00.North West: Suits you, sir, but does the way we tax business premises
:37:01. > :37:03.also measure up? It certainly increases the divide between North
:37:04. > :37:06.and South which does not make it easy for businesses to cope in this
:37:07. > :37:10.environment. I'll be speaking to Business Secretary, Vince Cable But
:37:11. > :37:12.looking very sharp in the studio this week, the Conservative MP for
:37:13. > :37:16.Pendle, Andrew Stephenson. And joining me for the first time since
:37:17. > :37:19.she announced she's stepping down at the next election is Hazel Blears,
:37:20. > :37:27.the Labour MP for Salford and Eccles. Welcome both. Hazel, a big
:37:28. > :37:31.announcement, you had some great times as at MP and some difficult
:37:32. > :37:39.ones. How hard will it be to move on? It is always a cut decision
:37:40. > :37:43.Being an MP has been a fantastic experience. I have done things I
:37:44. > :37:49.would never have drained of and have hopefully made this city a better
:37:50. > :37:56.place, so it is difficult. Is this part of your legacy, media city
:37:57. > :38:00.Yes, here we are. By the next election I will have been an MP for
:38:01. > :38:05.nearly 20 years, it has been my whole life and I want to try and
:38:06. > :38:12.bring on somebody new who will be a champion and a fighter for Salford.
:38:13. > :38:17.Were you disappointed that Ed Miliband did not put you in his
:38:18. > :38:21.team? Know, when I went back to parliament we had a long talk and he
:38:22. > :38:26.asked if I wanted to do that, and I said I had done so many jobs in
:38:27. > :38:29.government I did not want to replay that light, so I have been working
:38:30. > :38:35.on issues like dementia, social mobility, bringing young people to
:38:36. > :38:38.work in Parliament and getting companies to be more socially
:38:39. > :38:47.responsible, and I have enjoyed my time. I have another year yet, so I
:38:48. > :38:53.am not quite gone. How confident are you Ed Miliband will win the next
:38:54. > :38:58.election? I think the Conservatives are deeply unpopular. I think our
:38:59. > :39:01.policy agenda is beginning to be fleshed out, I think the idea of
:39:02. > :39:06.campaigning around the cost of living, people are struggling and it
:39:07. > :39:12.is a good thing, and I think it will be close because X is quite volatile
:39:13. > :39:19.at the moment, but I am confident we will have a Labour government and I
:39:20. > :39:25.will be fighting every day for that. If Labour does win, Andrew, that
:39:26. > :39:31.could be at your expense. It could be my predecessor MP who won the
:39:32. > :39:34.seat, that when I speak to local businesses they seem to be doing
:39:35. > :39:40.well, local people seem optimistic, so I think it is all to play for.
:39:41. > :39:43.Thank you. The burning issue in Trafford this week has been the
:39:44. > :39:45.go`ahead for a new biomass incinerator, despite opposition from
:39:46. > :39:48.local people. But after a legal challenge, the High Court ruled the
:39:49. > :39:51.government acted lawfully in approving Peel Energy's plans for
:39:52. > :39:54.the wood`burning electricity plant. So where does that leave localism,
:39:55. > :39:58.the idea that decisions are taken closer to home? A question for Euan
:39:59. > :40:05.Doak. It mobilised the community. Air
:40:06. > :40:08.pollution 70% above EU limits. Residents opposing the building of
:40:09. > :40:12.an incinerator were backed by their council. But in the end, the High
:40:13. > :40:18.Court said the government was right to grant permission for the Barton
:40:19. > :40:21.Renewable Energy Plant. None of the councillors in Trafford supported
:40:22. > :40:24.the building of the plant by Peel Energy. It will be built just
:40:25. > :40:30.further along the Manchester Ship Canal, on Peel`owned land. Salford
:40:31. > :40:35.Council also opposed it. But the decision to build it was taken 00
:40:36. > :40:40.miles away, in London. Local people's views have been ignored.
:40:41. > :40:44.Most local people I have spoken to are post to the plant, and they
:40:45. > :40:49.believe their government's promises about a local agenda, that local
:40:50. > :40:54.people would have a say on planning decisions that affect them, they
:40:55. > :40:56.have been let down by that agenda. The biomass incinerator will burn
:40:57. > :40:59.mainly waste wood and the Environment Agency will monitor
:41:00. > :41:02.emissions. But opponents have dubbed it the smiling assassin, and claim
:41:03. > :41:05.it will further damage air quality. Last week the European Commission
:41:06. > :41:13.began legal proceedings over excessive pollution in Greater
:41:14. > :41:17.Manchester. It is so devastating for the people that live here and the
:41:18. > :41:20.impact this will have on our lives, our health and our future. They
:41:21. > :41:25.argue decisions like this are stacked in favour of the developer.
:41:26. > :41:31.The government will always go with the developers were possible, that
:41:32. > :41:34.is what they want to do under the new arrangement, especially if it is
:41:35. > :41:40.commercial or industrial development or housing. If these decisions go to
:41:41. > :41:42.the top we can expect to see the Secretary of State rule in favour of
:41:43. > :41:45.the development. Peel weren't available for interview but said:
:41:46. > :41:48."We now intend to focus our attention on completing the work
:41:49. > :41:56.necessary for the plant to be built." It is planned to open in
:41:57. > :42:00.2016. Was the government right to oppose
:42:01. > :42:06.local people and the Tory run council? There is a difficult
:42:07. > :42:09.balancing act here and I know Trafford Council bought this tooth
:42:10. > :42:15.and nail with local residents saying this was the wrong place. You have a
:42:16. > :42:19.situation where the Environment Agency says this would not damage
:42:20. > :42:22.health and air quality and so it would always be settled in the
:42:23. > :42:29.courts. I think it is a regrettable decision. I am not a local MP but I
:42:30. > :42:37.can understand why residents opposed it and local politicians. Why do you
:42:38. > :42:42.say it is regrettable? You look at a developer of this size, it is a big
:42:43. > :42:47.development and has united people from different parties against that,
:42:48. > :42:57.so there is clearly grounds for consultation. Why did the government
:42:58. > :43:03.want local people? There is a balance with these things. The
:43:04. > :43:07.government got the balance wrong. You have to represent local views
:43:08. > :43:13.but when you're looking at objects of national importance there is a
:43:14. > :43:16.balance to be struck. I have not necessarily saying the government
:43:17. > :43:21.got this one right, as an outsider looking at the details, I think the
:43:22. > :43:25.council had a good case against it but it seems the courts decided
:43:26. > :43:34.otherwise. Hazel, you support renewable energy. I had the same
:43:35. > :43:38.situation in tackles, a plan to build a massive biomass incinerator
:43:39. > :43:44.within 50 metres of people's houses. We fought a 12 day planning inquiry
:43:45. > :43:48.with hardly any resources, the developer had ?1 million legal team
:43:49. > :43:53.and after 12 days the inspector found in our favour. It was an
:43:54. > :43:59.amazing decision. Andrew is being brave to date because his government
:44:00. > :44:03.have made so much about localism, neighbourhood plans, local people
:44:04. > :44:09.making decisions, and here in Trafford you have a community up in
:44:10. > :44:12.arms and they have been ignored In the case of this one for the
:44:13. > :44:18.Environment Agency says there are satisfied there wouldn't be a risk
:44:19. > :44:23.to people's health, what do you do? That evidence is controversial. We
:44:24. > :44:29.put forward evidence including experts from Salford University that
:44:30. > :44:33.the emissions could endanger health, but our biggest case was that local
:44:34. > :44:37.people didn't want it, and for once the planning inspector went with
:44:38. > :44:41.local people and in this case the government have not listened to
:44:42. > :44:44.local people and when you have something like this where people
:44:45. > :44:49.live next door to it with their children, you have to go with the
:44:50. > :44:52.people. Thank you. Business rates are about as popular
:44:53. > :44:56.as council tax. Businesses pay out for council services based upon the
:44:57. > :45:01.value of their premises. But a revaluation has been delayed. And
:45:02. > :45:05.because property prices in parts of the North West have fallen, some say
:45:06. > :45:08.they're paying more than they should be. I've been asking the Business
:45:09. > :45:18.Secretary Vince Cable about it, but first, here's Stuart Pollitt.
:45:19. > :45:23.Historically, Underbank was once the way into Stockport. But these days,
:45:24. > :45:31.not enough shoppers are making their way down this street. You've got an
:45:32. > :45:35.easy figure to fit. Freedman's has been in Stockport since 1893. In the
:45:36. > :45:41.last five years, trade and rent has fallen, but rates haven't. We've
:45:42. > :45:49.been paying rates forward under 20 years, but is now more a drained
:45:50. > :45:56.than ever? Yes, it is. I don't know how much he paid but it is a big
:45:57. > :46:05.drain. We have asked them to reduce it but it is not much. David is not
:46:06. > :46:08.happy about having to find money for his business rates, especially as
:46:09. > :46:17.some businesses nearby pay nothing at all. Even with that incentive,
:46:18. > :46:20.you will find many empty shops on two, three, four places to rent
:46:21. > :46:23.within a few yards. Paul's tattoo parlour has survived, and is now
:46:24. > :46:30.receiving some relief from the rates. We are paying about half the
:46:31. > :46:34.rates we normally paid and it will hopefully be free the next couple of
:46:35. > :46:39.years to bring more trade here. A few things is on the street
:46:40. > :46:54.obviously have a grand because they have been there a few months, . One
:46:55. > :46:59.of these beautiful historical areas. The government has intervened to
:47:00. > :47:03.help shopping in Stockport. It sent Mary Portas with ?100,000 to spend
:47:04. > :47:08.but it is another government decision, one about business rates
:47:09. > :47:12.which new research claims has cost businesses here millions. Business
:47:13. > :47:15.rates are based on the rental value of the building. The Government
:47:16. > :47:18.postponed a rate revaluation due in 2013 until 2015. Research for the
:47:19. > :47:22.Grimsey Review shows that's good news for places like London's Bond
:47:23. > :47:29.Street. Rents there have soared 72%, so sticking with 2008 values has
:47:30. > :47:33.saved luxury stores ?66 million In Greater Manchester, rents have
:47:34. > :47:45.fallen. In Stockport, they're down 47%, so the delay in revaluation has
:47:46. > :47:51.cost an estimated ?61million. Had a revaluation taken place in 2015
:47:52. > :47:56.retailers here would be paying 60 million less so throwing them
:47:57. > :48:00.?100,000 is an insult. You have a perverse situation where Greater
:48:01. > :48:05.Manchester retailers are subsidising the likes of Burberry and adoption
:48:06. > :48:11.of Havana, and that cannot be right in a system of their taxation. ``
:48:12. > :48:14.Dulcie and valour. The Government says delaying the revaluation has
:48:15. > :48:16.benefited 800,000 out of 1.1 million premises. But politically it's
:48:17. > :48:21.pitted the Coalition Government against Lib Dem and Tory council in
:48:22. > :48:26.the North West. You are in conflict with the Coalition Government on
:48:27. > :48:29.this one. I stand up for the people of Stockport and I believe it was
:48:30. > :48:35.the wrong decision for this part of the world. It increases the divide
:48:36. > :48:40.between north and South and does not make it easy for businesses to
:48:41. > :48:45.survive in this environment. As the first signs of spring appear, the
:48:46. > :48:49.businesses of Little Underbank are still waiting for recover it to
:48:50. > :48:52.arrive on their streets. And while the Business Secretary Vince Cable
:48:53. > :48:56.was opening a new business park in Burnley this week, I asked him if
:48:57. > :49:01.the current system was working fairly. No, and I think there is a
:49:02. > :49:05.general view in the business community the business rate system
:49:06. > :49:09.does not work well and the government has capped the increase
:49:10. > :49:13.in business rates and we're now looking more widely at how to put it
:49:14. > :49:18.on a better footing, having annual revaluations, and I share the view
:49:19. > :49:25.of a lot of business associations that we should look for a different
:49:26. > :49:28.system of taxing business. A lot of people here feel the current system
:49:29. > :49:34.is unfair because they are paying too much business rates. I think
:49:35. > :49:37.that is fair and there are a lot of losers from the postponement of
:49:38. > :49:43.revaluation, but when the government did the sums it found there were
:49:44. > :49:49.more winners than losers. But the winners are all down south and the
:49:50. > :49:54.losers are up north. It is not as simple as that, but I understand in
:49:55. > :49:59.areas where commercial rents have not risen, there is a genuine
:50:00. > :50:04.grievance that the companies are not getting the benefit in terms of
:50:05. > :50:10.their business rate. We need to look at the system and reformat.
:50:11. > :50:15.Stockport and Trafford Council have lobbied government to say please do
:50:16. > :50:23.not put off the revaluation. Can you commit that will not happen? I was
:50:24. > :50:29.in Merseyside at you weeks ago when this was raised and I said the
:50:30. > :50:33.government is now looking at annual revaluations and different ways of
:50:34. > :50:39.charging business rates that change the unfairness is in the system Did
:50:40. > :50:44.you consider Ed Miliband and the Labour Party to be pro`business
:50:45. > :50:50.Many things they have been saying lately have cast doubt on that.
:50:51. > :50:53.Freezing energy prices causes problems with investment in energy
:50:54. > :50:59.and I hope to take Britain forward we get all the parties taking a
:51:00. > :51:05.pro`business approach which helps business to have a long`term
:51:06. > :51:11.planning horizon so they can get investment capital. How concerned is
:51:12. > :51:17.the Lib Dem leadership about the apparent collapse of support for the
:51:18. > :51:21.party in the North West? We realise 20 went into government we made some
:51:22. > :51:26.unpopular decisions but we are used to ups and downs and the next big
:51:27. > :51:31.battle is around the European battle `` the European elections. We are
:51:32. > :51:35.the only party which is making a positive case for British
:51:36. > :51:38.involvement in Europe and I think we will be vindicated.
:51:39. > :51:41.And we're also joined now by Christian Spence, head of business
:51:42. > :51:45.intelligence at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
:51:46. > :51:48.Vince Cable making it clear he thinks the current system is not
:51:49. > :51:55.working and once an alternative so what would it be? As things have
:51:56. > :52:02.suggested, the biggest issue is around revaluations. Currently the
:52:03. > :52:05.amount they pay in business rates is adjusted every five years according
:52:06. > :52:09.to market value, businesses are still paying now in relation to what
:52:10. > :52:16.they paid in 2008 at the height of the market. Since then we have seen
:52:17. > :52:23.in many areas, not just a level of rent staying the same but a
:52:24. > :52:29.significant fall. So you do want to see a revaluation? I think it has to
:52:30. > :52:34.happen, it is the single most important thing in the system. Some
:52:35. > :52:42.businesses in the North West will lose out but that is tough. Those
:52:43. > :52:49.who have seen trading go up will, but that is better. Out`of`town
:52:50. > :52:54.centres have seen significant increases in their turnover and I
:52:55. > :53:01.think they can share the burden Our concern is for small businesses
:53:02. > :53:05.many have is seen a large fall in the value of their property, so to
:53:06. > :53:12.be paying business rates as a proportion of their rent from 2 08
:53:13. > :53:16.is unfair. But Vince Cable is saying he is not keen on business rates at
:53:17. > :53:22.all, he was the system reformed Would you favour a different kind of
:53:23. > :53:25.taxation? Since the recession we have seen the economy on a firmer
:53:26. > :53:31.footing, we expect that to continue, but the current rate system is
:53:32. > :53:36.fundamentally broken. Tied to the square footage of year promises and
:53:37. > :53:40.its rental value may work well for a high street `based economy of 2
:53:41. > :53:43.years ago, but our retail is under pressure from internet and
:53:44. > :53:51.international firms who were not subject to the same conditions, so
:53:52. > :53:59.it is broken. Hazel, you blame the government for this? I think the
:54:00. > :54:02.fact Vince Cable is talking about an annual review is by commission he
:54:03. > :54:09.should have got on with it before now. That is a good idea? I think
:54:10. > :54:14.the system does need fundamental reform. We have committed to
:54:15. > :54:18.freezing business rate and trying to cut them because small businesses
:54:19. > :54:22.employ most people in this country and our town centres are struggling.
:54:23. > :54:32.We have done in a little things like having cafes and art events, but...
:54:33. > :54:37.You haven't had Mary Portas. We haven't, but a man who used to run
:54:38. > :54:43.Tesco said the economy has changed dramatically. People ordering online
:54:44. > :54:47.don't pay business rates because there are no promises. Maybe we
:54:48. > :54:53.should move towards corporation tax but we need a new system. People
:54:54. > :54:57.feel aggrieved when they need to run a small business like the Taylor
:54:58. > :55:04.there, we need to do something to help them. Does the government need
:55:05. > :55:08.to get its act together on this We are heading in the right direction
:55:09. > :55:13.in terms of what events was saying about a new system. I would favour
:55:14. > :55:19.annual revaluations but I think we need to decide what the new system
:55:20. > :55:25.will be. You would favour a new system? Yes, the government is doing
:55:26. > :55:31.its best to mitigate what it can enable ad system. In an area like
:55:32. > :55:37.Pendle, where we have low values in many high street shops, that has
:55:38. > :55:45.helped some businesses but it is a sticking plaster. Why did the
:55:46. > :55:50.government delay their revaluation? Until we can come up with a better
:55:51. > :55:54.system. They have capped increases of business rates at 2% and there
:55:55. > :55:57.are debates about that, and I hope as we go towards the budget we will
:55:58. > :56:06.see the Chancellor taking representation on board. That was a
:56:07. > :56:12.mistake? No, delaying it is logical because the system is broken so we
:56:13. > :56:17.knew a new system in place. But in the meantime companies are losing
:56:18. > :56:22.out. In the meantime the revaluation officer said if we do a head under
:56:23. > :56:26.the current system, the majority of businesses would lose out on the
:56:27. > :56:31.businesses that pay the most in terms of increases, we are talking
:56:32. > :56:36.about pubs, hotels, some of the small businesses that would be
:56:37. > :56:43.harmed and put out of business by revaluation in 2015. Christian, one
:56:44. > :56:45.change is the idea that councils can keep some of the increase in
:56:46. > :56:54.business rates. Has that changed anything? It is hard to tell, we are
:56:55. > :56:57.not through the first fiscal year. The biggest thing now for local
:56:58. > :57:02.authorities who have seen huge cuts to their revenue they have lost a
:57:03. > :57:07.third of their incomes since 20 0 and those cuts are not finished yet.
:57:08. > :57:11.The question for local authorities is whether they have the will to
:57:12. > :57:16.look at this rate in terms are renewed maximisation. Businesses
:57:17. > :57:20.across the country note you cannot continue to increase price and
:57:21. > :57:26.expect to increase revenue, so how do they maximise rates? They now
:57:27. > :57:32.have flexibility to cut rates for certain businesses and need to look
:57:33. > :57:35.at that. Hazel, Vince Cable is saying he does not think Labour is
:57:36. > :57:43.pro`business. What did you make of that? I reject that. We have been
:57:44. > :57:47.supporting small businesses and we set a freeze for business rates in
:57:48. > :57:52.2015 because we understand the pressure is on the people who employ
:57:53. > :57:56.most people in this country. It is the pricing coming from him because
:57:57. > :58:01.he is meant to be the most pro`Labour member of Cabinet. I
:58:02. > :58:06.think that shows the pressure he is under we could not resist a smile
:58:07. > :58:12.because the Lib Dems have lost their way, they do not know what they
:58:13. > :58:15.stand for, a complete flip`flop on commission fees, they have lost
:58:16. > :58:21.their left of centre about, I feel sorry for events. Thank you.
:58:22. > :58:28.Let's see what else has been making the news this week. Here's 60
:58:29. > :58:31.Seconds. A Cheshire councillor has called for
:58:32. > :58:34.clarity on the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons in Ellesmere Port.
:58:35. > :58:37.The Foreign Office says Veolia will be dealing with 150 tonnes of
:58:38. > :58:40.material that poses no risk. Lancashire's Police Commissioner
:58:41. > :58:43.says he has "no case to answer" despite the police watchdog looking
:58:44. > :58:54.again at his expenses. Clive Grunshaw had been told in January he
:58:55. > :58:59.would not face charges. Liverpool City Council is ending its
:59:00. > :59:03.partnership with BT. The mayor shot down within three months and is
:59:04. > :59:05.looking at further savings. European Commissioner Johannes Hahn
:59:06. > :59:09.was at Manchester University's Graphene Institute. The EU's giving
:59:10. > :59:16.?24 million for research into the world's thinnest, strongest and most
:59:17. > :59:20.conductive material. In a global world you have to work together
:59:21. > :59:23.And our newest MP has taken his seat in the Commons. Labour's Mike Kane
:59:24. > :59:31.won the recent by`election in Wythenshawe and Sale East.
:59:32. > :59:36.That's it from us this week. Just time to thank my guests Hazel Blears
:59:37. > :59:38.and Andrew Stephenson. Hopefully not the last time we have you here.
:59:39. > :59:43.Government to change it. Thank you both for being here. Andrew, back to
:59:44. > :59:56.you. This week grant Shap said he wanted
:59:57. > :59:59.to rebrand the Tories as the workers' party to show it can reach