:00:36. > :00:40.It's Sunday Morning, and this is the Sunday Politics.
:00:41. > :00:43.Theresa May says she has no plans to increase tax levels,
:00:44. > :00:47.but refuses to repeat David Cameron's 2015 manifesto
:00:48. > :00:54.promise ruling out hikes in VAT, national insurance and income tax.
:00:55. > :00:57.The leaders of the EU's 27 member states unanimously
:00:58. > :01:01.agree their negotiating strategy for the upcoming Brexit talks, but
:01:02. > :01:11.And in the last of our series of interviews ahead of Thursday's
:01:12. > :01:15.local elections, I'll be talking to the leader of Plaid Cymru Leanne
:01:16. > :01:18.No, it's not musical chairs in the North West - we'll
:01:19. > :01:22.have the candidates for mayor of Liverpool City region
:01:23. > :01:28.on why they'll be sitting pretty after Thursday.
:01:29. > :01:49.They hit an all-time low after coalition government,
:01:50. > :01:49.but are the Lib Dems poised to bounce back,
:01:50. > :01:55.And with me to analyse the week's politics,
:01:56. > :01:56.Isabel Oakeshott, Steve Richards, Tom Newton-Dunn.
:01:57. > :01:58.They'll be tweeting using the hashtag #bbcsp.
:01:59. > :02:01.So when Theresa May was interviewed just over an hour ago
:02:02. > :02:04.on The Andrew Marr Show, the Prime Minister was asked
:02:05. > :02:05.to confirm that she would repeat David Cameron's 2015 election
:02:06. > :02:08.promise not to raise VAT, national insurance and income tax
:02:09. > :02:12.We have absolutely no plans to increase the level of tax,
:02:13. > :02:16.but I'm also very clear that I don't want to make specific proposals
:02:17. > :02:18.on taxes unless I'm absolutely sure that I can deliver on those.
:02:19. > :02:21.But it is, would be my intention as a Conservative Government
:02:22. > :02:23.and a Conservative Prime Minister, to reduce the taxes
:02:24. > :02:32.The Tories like to have a clear tax message in elections, are they
:02:33. > :02:36.getting into a bit of a mess? That method wasn't clear, but does it
:02:37. > :02:41.mean, saying they have no plans to increase the level of tax? We are
:02:42. > :02:45.clear there will not be a rise in VAT, a lot of commentators will get
:02:46. > :02:50.overexcited about that, but there was no great expectations there
:02:51. > :02:56.would be a rise in VAT. Tempting as it is, because even one percentage
:02:57. > :03:00.point on VAT rate is 4.5 billion for the exchequer so it is tempting but
:03:01. > :03:07.there has been no speculation that would happen. We can see that she
:03:08. > :03:10.clearly wants to reiterate the language about hard-working families
:03:11. > :03:16.but I don't think we are that much the wiser. Even if she does not put
:03:17. > :03:20.up rates, according to projections the overall tax burden, as a
:03:21. > :03:25.percentage of GDP, is rising, will rise in the years ahead. That is why
:03:26. > :03:30.it was an odd phrase, I know she is doing it to be evasive but to say
:03:31. > :03:34.they have no plans to raise the general level of taxation, they do
:03:35. > :03:38.have. We also know they have specific plans because it was in the
:03:39. > :03:45.last budget, they had a tax rise which they had to revise, National
:03:46. > :03:52.Insurance rises, so very wisely in my view they are keeping options
:03:53. > :03:56.open, the 2015 tax-and-spend debate was a fantasy world, totally
:03:57. > :04:02.unrelated to the demands that would follow. They now have the
:04:03. > :04:05.flexibility, one of the arguments you had heard last time was Philip
:04:06. > :04:10.Hammond saying to her, we have to break away from the 2015 manifesto
:04:11. > :04:15.commitment and we can only do it this way, that is one of the better
:04:16. > :04:19.arguments. The Tories like to talk about tax cuts in elections, whether
:04:20. > :04:26.they do it is another matter, but they are not being allowed to talk
:04:27. > :04:30.about tax cuts, they are now on the defensive over whether they will
:04:31. > :04:33.raise taxes. That is not a healthy position for the campaign to be in.
:04:34. > :04:38.If you look at the numbers, quite frankly, if you will not do this at
:04:39. > :04:42.this election with eight 20 point lead over Labour, then when will you
:04:43. > :04:47.take these tough decisions? Reading between the lines of what Theresa
:04:48. > :04:50.May has said all over different broadcasters this morning, income
:04:51. > :04:54.tax will go down for low-income families, such as the threshold rise
:04:55. > :05:01.that microbes that was already factored in. She has had to commit
:05:02. > :05:04.to it again. VAT will be fat, national insurance contributions
:05:05. > :05:10.will go up. Do you think they will go up? I think so, she had plenty of
:05:11. > :05:17.opportunity to rule it out and she didn't. There was a terrible mess
:05:18. > :05:20.with the budget, it is a good tax argument but not a good electoral
:05:21. > :05:25.argument that you are eroding the base so heavily with people moving
:05:26. > :05:28.into self-employment that as you raise national insurance
:05:29. > :05:31.contributions for everybody but the self-employed, it is something the
:05:32. > :05:35.Treasury will have to look at. The other triple lock on pensions, we
:05:36. > :05:40.don't know if they will keep to that either? If they are sensible they
:05:41. > :05:43.will find a form of words to give them flexibility in that area as
:05:44. > :05:49.well. I would say there is no question over that, that has gone.
:05:50. > :05:52.As Mrs May would say, you will have to wait for the manifesto. That is
:05:53. > :05:56.what all the party leaders tell me! Labour have spent the weekend
:05:57. > :05:58.pushing their messages Speaking at a camapign rally
:05:59. > :06:01.in London yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn promised a Labour
:06:02. > :06:09.government would fix what he called People are fed up, fed up with not
:06:10. > :06:14.being able to get somewhere to live, fed up waiting for hospital
:06:15. > :06:18.appointments, fed up with 0-hours contracts, fed up with low pay, fed
:06:19. > :06:23.up with debt, fed up with not being able to get on in their lives
:06:24. > :06:27.because we have a system that is rigged against so many.
:06:28. > :06:29.I've been joined from Newcastle by Labour's elections
:06:30. > :06:30.and campaigns co-ordinator, Ian Lavery.
:06:31. > :06:41.Good morning. To deal with this rigged economy, as Mr Corbyn calls
:06:42. > :06:45.it, the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has a 20 point plan for
:06:46. > :06:49.workers out today. When you add up everything he plans to do to help
:06:50. > :06:54.workers, how much will it cost? The full costings, one thing I need to
:06:55. > :06:59.say at the very beginning, the costings of any policy which we have
:07:00. > :07:04.already ruled out and any policy we will be ruling out in the next few
:07:05. > :07:09.days and weeks will be fully costed in the manifesto and in addition to
:07:10. > :07:14.the fact that it will be fully costed, we will see it in the
:07:15. > :07:19.manifesto how indeed it has been funded, so we are very clear,
:07:20. > :07:22.anything we have seen already, and there are some exciting policy
:07:23. > :07:26.releases and there will be more in the future, anything we are going to
:07:27. > :07:30.do will be fully costed and in the manifesto. You announced a 20 point
:07:31. > :07:34.plan but cannot tell me what the costs will be this morning so at the
:07:35. > :07:39.moment it is a menu without prices? It is not a menu without prices, it
:07:40. > :07:44.is a fantastic opportunity. This 20 point plan is something which will
:07:45. > :07:49.transform the lives of millions of millions of people in the
:07:50. > :07:54.workplace... But what is the cost? It will be welcomed by many people
:07:55. > :07:58.across the UK. The fact the costings have not been released, you will
:07:59. > :08:03.have to be patient, it will be released very clearly, it will
:08:04. > :08:07.identify that in the manifesto. Let me come down to one of the points,
:08:08. > :08:12.the end of the public sector pay freeze. Can you give us any idea how
:08:13. > :08:15.much that will cost? The end of the public sector pay freeze, so
:08:16. > :08:22.important to the future of the Labour Party, it is an massive
:08:23. > :08:28.policy decision. Let me say at this stage, Theresa May, the Prime
:08:29. > :08:31.Minister, this morning, on The Andrew Marr Show, did not have the
:08:32. > :08:37.common decency, courtesy all respect to condone the fact that nurses, the
:08:38. > :08:42.heroes of the NHS, have had a reduction of nearly 14% in their
:08:43. > :08:46.wages since 2010 and are using food banks to feed themselves! Does that
:08:47. > :08:53.not say everything that is wrong with today's society? So can you
:08:54. > :08:57.tell me what it will cost, which is what my question was? What I will
:08:58. > :09:01.say is everything the Labour Party pledges, everything that we come out
:09:02. > :09:05.with, what we will roll out between now and the 8th of June, will be
:09:06. > :09:09.fully costed, people will be very much aware of how much the costings
:09:10. > :09:14.will be, where the funding will come from, when the manifesto is
:09:15. > :09:19.published. What about doubling paternity leave, nu minimum wage,
:09:20. > :09:30.four new bank holidays, any idea what it will
:09:31. > :09:33.cost? These are exciting new proposals and of course today cost
:09:34. > :09:36.money but we are the sixth richest economy in the world. It is about
:09:37. > :09:39.redistribution of the wealth we create. We are seeing growth in the
:09:40. > :09:42.economy, it is how we utilise the finances in the best way we possibly
:09:43. > :09:47.can for a fairer society for the many and not the few. You just can't
:09:48. > :09:53.tell me how much it will cost? That is why I will repeat again that you
:09:54. > :09:56.need to be very patient. Do you know the cost yourself? You are the head
:09:57. > :10:01.of the campaign, do you know the cost of these things yourself? I am
:10:02. > :10:05.very much aware of how much the costings are likely to be, they have
:10:06. > :10:10.been identified, they will be published in the manifesto. You
:10:11. > :10:15.really do understand I would not be releasing today, live on your show,
:10:16. > :10:20.any costings or predictions with regards the manifesto. Why not? You
:10:21. > :10:25.have released the policy, why not the cost? Because there is a fine
:10:26. > :10:28.detail and we will identify it to the general public in the manifesto.
:10:29. > :10:36.We not only explain how much it will cost but we will explain where the
:10:37. > :10:41.funding comes from. Be patient. Will some of the costs be met by
:10:42. > :10:46.increasing taxes? I would think at this point in time there is not any
:10:47. > :10:51.indication to increase basic taxes and again the taxes and spending of
:10:52. > :10:56.the Labour Government with the proposals of the 20 point plan, the
:10:57. > :11:03.issues we have got, housing, the NHS, crime, education will all be
:11:04. > :11:07.identified with the costings in the publication. Can you tell us this
:11:08. > :11:14.morning, we'll tax for most people rise or not to finance this? We in
:11:15. > :11:21.the Labour Party are looking to a fair tax system which will be
:11:22. > :11:27.clearly identified in the manifesto. Mr McDonnell also wants to ban all
:11:28. > :11:33.0-hours contracts. Would that include those who actually like
:11:34. > :11:36.those contracts? There are nearly 1 million, depending on which figured
:11:37. > :11:40.you'd use, there are nearly 1 million people on zero-hours
:11:41. > :11:44.contract and the vast proportion of those want to be able to live a
:11:45. > :11:51.decent life, a secure life, they want to understand whether they will
:11:52. > :11:54.be at work the next day, they're included hours... I understand a lot
:11:55. > :11:58.of people don't like zero-hours contract and your proposal will
:11:59. > :12:04.address that, but there are those, I saw one survey where 65% of people
:12:05. > :12:08.on zero-hours contract like the flexibility it gives them. Will you
:12:09. > :12:12.force them off zero-hours contract or if they like them will they
:12:13. > :12:16.continue with them? We will discuss it with employee is to make sure
:12:17. > :12:20.individuals in the workplace have the right to negotiate hours in that
:12:21. > :12:29.workplace. Guaranteed hours is very, very important. Zero-hour contracts
:12:30. > :12:32.are an instrument in which employers abuse and exploit mainly young
:12:33. > :12:38.people, mainly female people in the workplace. We would be banning
:12:39. > :12:43.zero-hour contract. But there are those, students for example, who
:12:44. > :12:47.like them, would they be forced off zero-hour contracts in your
:12:48. > :12:51.proposal? Our proposal would be banning zero-hour contract and
:12:52. > :12:57.introducing contracts which have set hours in the workplace. You also say
:12:58. > :13:01.no company will be able to bid for a public contract unless the boss
:13:02. > :13:06.earns no more than 20 times the lowest paid, or the average wage,
:13:07. > :13:09.I'm not quite sure which. What would happen if British Aerospace bids to
:13:10. > :13:15.build more joint strike Fighters and the boss is paid more than 20 times?
:13:16. > :13:22.I understand the point you raise but we have an obscene situation in this
:13:23. > :13:27.country, Andrew, in which the bosses at the very top make an absolute
:13:28. > :13:33.fortune... But what would happen then? Who would build joint strike
:13:34. > :13:37.Fighters... The difference in wages between the top earners in the
:13:38. > :13:43.country and the people in the factories, in the workshops,
:13:44. > :13:48.producing the goods, is vast. I understand that is the reason you
:13:49. > :13:52.want a ratio. What I am saying is, what happens if the ratio is
:13:53. > :13:57.greater? Who gets the contract if not British Aerospace? Who else
:13:58. > :14:04.builds the planes? We are going to introduce a wage rate CEO of one to
:14:05. > :14:07.20. -- wage ratio. We want to close the gap between the people at the
:14:08. > :14:11.very top and people who produce the goods. Let me try one more Time, who
:14:12. > :14:19.would build the joint strike fighter? We would look at the issue
:14:20. > :14:23.as it came along but the policy is clear... Can you name a single
:14:24. > :14:30.defence contractor weather boss' salary is less than 20 times average
:14:31. > :14:37.earnings? We are not reducing, we have rolled that out as part of this
:14:38. > :14:43.fantastic plan to transform society to get rid of discrimination, to try
:14:44. > :14:48.and bring together our communities. We will introduce a pay ratio of one
:14:49. > :14:50.to 20. Fair enough, thank you very much.
:14:51. > :14:53.It's a month after the triggering of Article 50, and EU leaders -
:14:54. > :14:56.with the exception of Britain - met in Brussels this weekend
:14:57. > :14:58.to agree their opening negotiating stance, to get the divorce
:14:59. > :15:15.It is inside this psychedelic chamber where Britain's 'Grexit'
:15:16. > :15:20.future will be decided over the next two years, but there is a vast gulf
:15:21. > :15:30.in rhetoric coming from the UK and the EU. With parallel narratives
:15:31. > :15:33.emerging for both sides. There is broad agreement that an orderly
:15:34. > :15:37.withdrawal is in the interests of both sides. But Theresa May's
:15:38. > :15:41.position is that the terms of our future trade deal should be
:15:42. > :15:45.negotiated alongside the terms of our divorce. Meanwhile the EU says
:15:46. > :15:52.the terms of the UK's exit must be decided before any discussion on a
:15:53. > :15:55.future trade deal can begin. But don't forget that divorce
:15:56. > :16:01.settlement. Don't remind me. In Brussels, many think written should
:16:02. > :16:04.pay even more, while in the UK ministers said the divorce bill
:16:05. > :16:09.should be capped at 3 billion. After you. Thank you.
:16:10. > :16:19.For are you looking forward to it? Isn't that divorce bill a bit high?
:16:20. > :16:25.Isn't this about punishing Britain? We are very united, you all seem so
:16:26. > :16:32.surprised but it's a fact. How soon can we get a deal? We have to wait
:16:33. > :16:37.for the elections. It was the decision of Mrs May. It took over an
:16:38. > :16:41.hour for the leaders to make their entrances but once inside it's just
:16:42. > :16:47.a few minutes to agree the negotiating guidelines. They set out
:16:48. > :16:51.three main areas. The first phase of talks on the divorce settlement will
:16:52. > :16:54.deal with the existing financial commitments to the EU, the Northern
:16:55. > :16:58.Ireland border and the rights of EU citizens in the UK. They said a UK
:16:59. > :17:03.trade agreement can be discussed when the first phase of talks
:17:04. > :17:08.reaches significant progress. And that there must be unity in the
:17:09. > :17:14.negotiations, that individual EU members won't negotiate separately
:17:15. > :17:18.with the UK. They are quite good here at negotiating because they are
:17:19. > :17:22.used to it. They set a maximum and then they have to recede a little
:17:23. > :17:28.bit depending on what the other side is prepared to offer. I think there
:17:29. > :17:32.is room for manoeuvre in some issues, but I don't think some of
:17:33. > :17:37.the baseline things will change that much. For example I don't think the
:17:38. > :17:42.European Union will concede on the rights of citizens who are already
:17:43. > :17:48.in the UK. It will be very difficult for them to accept that they will
:17:49. > :17:51.not be any exit bill, and the question of Northern Ireland is very
:17:52. > :17:55.important as well, the hard order question. The baseline things are
:17:56. > :18:00.not going to move that much, then you have room for manoeuvring
:18:01. > :18:04.between. On security, defence and the fight against terrorism, the
:18:05. > :18:08.guidelines said the EU stands ready to work together. And after lunch,
:18:09. > :18:14.friendly signs from some EU leaders as they gave individual press
:18:15. > :18:17.conferences. Paul and said the talks should open doors to new
:18:18. > :18:24.opportunities and even German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had
:18:25. > :18:26.earlier said some in Britain were deluded about Brexit, softened her
:18:27. > :18:31.tone saying there was no conspiracy against the UK. Unity was the
:18:32. > :18:36.buzzword at this summit and for once everybody seemed to be sticking to
:18:37. > :18:40.the script. That unity is not only amongst the 27 states, it's also
:18:41. > :18:45.among the institutions so many of the divisions we have seen in the
:18:46. > :18:49.past at European level do not exist. That is very important and it's not
:18:50. > :18:53.be unity that is directed somehow against the UK because I think we
:18:54. > :19:06.all want this to be an orderly process and part of that is that the
:19:07. > :19:09.EU side is unified. So although there are no surprises here, what
:19:10. > :19:13.took place in this room was a significant step towards the real
:19:14. > :19:18.Brexit negotiations which will begin soon after the general election in
:19:19. > :19:22.June, said to be the most complex the UK has faced in our lifetimes.
:19:23. > :19:28.Isabel, Steve and Tom are still with me.
:19:29. > :19:36.Isabel, doesn't the British media have to be a bit careful here? We
:19:37. > :19:41.would never take at face value anything a British politician tells
:19:42. > :19:44.us. We would question it, put it in context and wonder if they are
:19:45. > :19:49.bluffing, but we seem to take at face value anything a European
:19:50. > :19:53.politician says about these negotiations. You only have to look
:19:54. > :19:58.at the front page of the Sunday Times today to see that. They quoted
:19:59. > :20:02.at length Juncker, who didn't like the food at the reception and this
:20:03. > :20:06.and that, and I think the mood is very optimistic. The key thing is
:20:07. > :20:12.the EU trade Commissioner has said we will get a free trade deal and a
:20:13. > :20:15.lot of people seem to be wilfully ignoring that incredibly big
:20:16. > :20:21.concession. That is what will happen in their view. Everything that is
:20:22. > :20:26.said at the moment needs a slight rerun over. They are all in
:20:27. > :20:29.negotiating positions, plus we seem to be completely unaware that they
:20:30. > :20:35.all have their own domestic constituencies as well. Angela
:20:36. > :20:38.Merkel has an important election coming up in September,
:20:39. > :20:42.Euroscepticism is quite different from Britain of course, but there's
:20:43. > :20:47.a different kind of euro scepticism in Germany, she has got to deal with
:20:48. > :20:51.that. Of course she has, which is why you are right, nothing should be
:20:52. > :20:56.taken too seriously out of the mouths of British politicians or
:20:57. > :21:01.European politicians until October this year. We have got to wait for
:21:02. > :21:05.the French elections, then German elections, and if you look through
:21:06. > :21:10.this you can see a way forward. There's no trade talks until pay up,
:21:11. > :21:14.but what was actually written was no trade talks until we make
:21:15. > :21:18.significant progress on the money. You can define significant progress
:21:19. > :21:24.in a lot of ways but come December, fireworks over the summer, we all
:21:25. > :21:28.get very excited about it, in these chairs I'm sure, come December
:21:29. > :21:32.things will look a lot smoother. The German elections are at the end of
:21:33. > :21:35.September but I've seen reports in German press, depending how it goes
:21:36. > :21:42.it could take until Christmas before a new coalition government is put
:21:43. > :21:45.together. The Brussels long-standing negotiating tactic of nothing is
:21:46. > :21:50.agreed until everything is agreed, then I guess the British could say
:21:51. > :21:54.we agree a certain sum of money if that's what it takes but that
:21:55. > :22:00.depends on them, what good trade deal we get. If we don't get that,
:22:01. > :22:06.the sum of money is off the table. In that sense, the two are going
:22:07. > :22:10.parallel. However, I wouldn't entirely dismiss what people are
:22:11. > :22:15.saying in their pre-election periods to their own electorates because
:22:16. > :22:19.they have to some extent to deliver subsequently. Of course Angela
:22:20. > :22:23.Merkel is campaigning and electioneering, who wouldn't, she
:22:24. > :22:27.has a tough election to fight, but she is measured and thoughtful and
:22:28. > :22:31.when she says things like some of the British are delusional, that is
:22:32. > :22:38.unusually strong language for her. What was she referring to? I don't
:22:39. > :22:42.know, it wasn't specific. Have the cake and eat it perhaps the
:22:43. > :22:46.sequencing the British don't want. When they thought the British
:22:47. > :22:49.government was going to effectively demand membership of the single
:22:50. > :22:57.market, that's not going to happen now. Unless you sign up to the four
:22:58. > :23:02.pillars, that's the cake and eat it proposition, which they are right in
:23:03. > :23:07.saying Theresa May has made. But everybody has access, even with no
:23:08. > :23:17.deal you have access. The other side of it is I think there will be a
:23:18. > :23:23.united position from them. And so, as somebody pointed out in that
:23:24. > :23:30.report, they are experienced, tough negotiators, so I don't think it
:23:31. > :23:36.will be quite as easy as some think. I spoke to one of those who drew up
:23:37. > :23:39.Article 50 and they said to me they deliberately put this two year
:23:40. > :23:47.timetable in to make it impossible for anybody to think about leaving.
:23:48. > :23:50.This is really tight, this negotiation. Easy, it isn't.
:23:51. > :23:52.This coming Thursday, voters up and down the country
:23:53. > :23:55.will be going to the polls in this year's local elections.
:23:56. > :23:56.Over the past few weeks I've interviewed representatives
:23:57. > :23:58.of the Conservative Party, Labour, the Liberal Democrats,
:23:59. > :24:02.Today it's the turn of Plaid Cymru and the SNP.
:24:03. > :24:04.A little earlier I spoke Alex Salmond, who until 2014
:24:05. > :24:09.I started by asking him why Scots should vote SNP in local elections
:24:10. > :24:11.when the Scottish Government had just cut central Government funding
:24:12. > :24:27.It's actually a funding increase going into Scottish councils this
:24:28. > :24:31.year, and if you look at the funding position for example between
:24:32. > :24:34.Scottish councils and those in England, which are obviously
:24:35. > :24:38.directly related through the Barnett formula, the funding in Scotland has
:24:39. > :24:48.been incomparably better than that in England so there's a whole range
:24:49. > :24:52.of the -- of reasons... What's happening south of the border
:24:53. > :24:55.indicates the protection the Scottish Parliament has been able to
:24:56. > :25:00.put in that helps vital services in Scotland. But there hasn't been a
:25:01. > :25:04.funding increase, the block grant from Westminster to Edinburgh was
:25:05. > :25:11.increased by 1.5% in real terms but the grant to councils was cut by
:25:12. > :25:16.2.6%. It was going to be a cut of 330 million, the Greens got you to
:25:17. > :25:27.reduce it to 170 million but it is still a cut of 2.6%. Your own
:25:28. > :25:31.Aberdeenshire Council has had a cut to 391 million. You have cut the
:25:32. > :25:35.money to councils. Yes, but councils have available to them more
:25:36. > :25:40.resources this year, and as you say the budget increased that further
:25:41. > :25:43.which is why we put forward an excellent local government budget in
:25:44. > :25:49.Aberdeenshire and resisted a Tory attempts to knock ?3 million off...
:25:50. > :25:53.You asked me about Aberdeenshire, and Aberdeenshire has put forward a
:25:54. > :25:59.budget for investment expansion and resisted a Tory attempts to knock ?3
:26:00. > :26:02.million off the education budget, and I'm very grateful you have given
:26:03. > :26:08.me the opportunity to make that point. The Government in Edinburgh
:26:09. > :26:15.has cut the money to Aberdeenshire by ?11 million. It is a cut. But
:26:16. > :26:18.there is an investment budget in Aberdeenshire that has been made
:26:19. > :26:23.available by the ability to increase the council tax by 2.5% after a
:26:24. > :26:27.nine-year freeze in Scotland, and that has brought more resources into
:26:28. > :26:31.local government and that's why the butchered in Aberdeenshire has been
:26:32. > :26:36.an investment budget including protection of the education budget
:26:37. > :26:40.in the face of a Tory and liberal attempt to cut bit. You have to
:26:41. > :26:43.compare what is happening in Scotland and England, and there's no
:26:44. > :26:49.doubt Scottish local authorities have been much better funded than
:26:50. > :26:52.those in England over the last few years and that's been the ability of
:26:53. > :26:58.the Scottish Government to protect the services at local level. A good
:26:59. > :27:04.reason for voting SNP. If they have been so well funded, why after a
:27:05. > :27:11.decade of SNP rule do one in five Scottish pupils leave primary school
:27:12. > :27:15.functionally illiterate? You have got to take these things... Nicola
:27:16. > :27:20.Sturgeon has made it a top priority to address these challenges but
:27:21. > :27:24.let's take another statistic. 93% of Scottish kids are now emerging from
:27:25. > :27:32.school to positive destinations, that means to further education,
:27:33. > :27:37.apprenticeships or work. Why are one in five functionally illiterate? You
:27:38. > :27:42.argue one statistic, I'm arguing Scottish education is putting in
:27:43. > :27:47.some substantially good performances like the 93% going on to positive
:27:48. > :27:52.destinations. You can't have a failing education system if you have
:27:53. > :27:56.got that 93%, and incidentally a record low youth unemployment in
:27:57. > :28:00.Scotland without the second lowest unemployment rate in Europe. These
:28:01. > :28:05.pupils are being prepared by the Scottish education system. Let's
:28:06. > :28:09.take the figures in the round on education. It's so important. Under
:28:10. > :28:15.your watch, under your government, the Scottish schools in the most
:28:16. > :28:25.important global comparison have fallen from tenth to 19th in
:28:26. > :28:32.science, and 11 to 24th in maths, that is a record of decline and
:28:33. > :28:38.failure. That is by the OECD and first questions about that, but the
:28:39. > :28:42.OECD has also described Scotland is one of the best educated societies
:28:43. > :28:47.in the world. That was from the school system in previous years gone
:28:48. > :28:54.by. For those who are currently in Scottish schools, you have fallen
:28:55. > :28:56.from 11th to 24th in mathematics. The OECD was commenting on
:28:57. > :29:01.introduction of the new curriculum for excellence in which they have
:29:02. > :29:06.given a resounding thumbs up to it, and that's the same source as the
:29:07. > :29:10.rankings which you are comparing. Nicola Sturgeon has said there are
:29:11. > :29:13.challenges on Scottish education, particularly the access through the
:29:14. > :29:18.education system and the attainment gap but don't tell me it's failing
:29:19. > :29:21.when 55% of our pupils have gone on to higher education. That's one of
:29:22. > :29:28.the most impressive figures in the world. Why have you cut 4000
:29:29. > :29:32.teachers? The pupil numbers in Scotland have been falling over
:29:33. > :29:35.recent years as well and now of course we are increasing the number
:29:36. > :29:40.of people going through teachers training so we can make sure that
:29:41. > :29:44.number increases, but listen, the Scottish Government and Scottish
:29:45. > :29:49.Parliament, as you very well know, are subject to real terms spending
:29:50. > :29:53.cuts over the last few years and all public services have been under
:29:54. > :29:56.pressure. The main reason in terms of teacher numbers has been an
:29:57. > :30:00.attempt on the Scottish Government to protect the teacher pupil ratio,
:30:01. > :30:09.and that will now be enhanced by a further taker -- intake. You
:30:10. > :30:14.promised you would reduce primary class sizes to 18 and instead they
:30:15. > :30:21.are now 23.5 and rising. You broke that promise. You didn't mention
:30:22. > :30:24.where we started from. We have kept the teacher pupil ratio very solid
:30:25. > :30:29.in Scotland and that's been against a range of public expenditure cuts
:30:30. > :30:30.but the new intake of teachers into the new teacher training in Scotland
:30:31. > :30:41.I think will enhance the system. You have spent in the pasty in
:30:42. > :30:46.Hollywood 43 hours on Government time debating independence. How many
:30:47. > :30:52.hours have you debated education on Government time? I don't have that
:30:53. > :30:55.they get a hand... The answer is zero, you have spent zero-hours
:30:56. > :31:01.debating education on Government time. Isn't it time the SNP got back
:31:02. > :31:05.to concentrating on the day job? Andrew, as you very well know Nicola
:31:06. > :31:09.Sturgeon has identified a key priority, closing the attainment gap
:31:10. > :31:14.in Scottish education. That is exactly what she has done. Let me
:31:15. > :31:20.answer the question, it is difficult to be in a remote location, if you
:31:21. > :31:26.talk before I answer the question then the view was will not be able
:31:27. > :31:31.to listen. I let you answer that without saying a word. Is this
:31:32. > :31:35.general election about independence, as you say it is, or not about
:31:36. > :31:41.independence, as Mrs Sturgeon says it is? No, I have said exactly the
:31:42. > :31:45.same as Nicola Sturgeon on that. The issue what independence will be
:31:46. > :31:50.decided in a national referendum of the Scottish people. The mandate for
:31:51. > :31:54.that referendum was gained in last year's Scottish elections. What this
:31:55. > :31:57.election is about is backing the right of the Scottish parliament to
:31:58. > :32:00.exercise that mandate and also providing real opposition to this
:32:01. > :32:05.Tory Government and allowing the Scottish Parliament to reverse
:32:06. > :32:09.austerity and some of the public expenditure cutbacks you have been
:32:10. > :32:10.talking about, that is what this is about, backing our Scottish
:32:11. > :32:12.Parliament. Alex Salmond, speaking
:32:13. > :32:13.to me earlier. I'm now joined by the leader
:32:14. > :32:21.of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood. You accuse the Government of wanting
:32:22. > :32:25.an extreme Brexit, those are your words. What is the difference
:32:26. > :32:29.between hard Brexit and extreme Brexit? My concern is the way in
:32:30. > :32:33.which we leave the European Union could be very damaging to Wales if,
:32:34. > :32:37.for example, there are tariffs introduced then that would have a
:32:38. > :32:44.real impact in terms of Welsh jobs, and I want to make sure that we have
:32:45. > :32:48.a Brexit that doesn't cause the damage to Wales that could be
:32:49. > :32:53.caused. But what is the difference between extreme and hard? Anything
:32:54. > :32:56.that puts Welsh jobs at risk is either extreme or hard and
:32:57. > :33:01.unacceptable to Plaid Cymru, and we will do what we can to protect those
:33:02. > :33:05.jobs. You want Wales to remain a member of the single market even if
:33:06. > :33:10.the UK isn't, which would mean Wales having to accept the free movement
:33:11. > :33:21.of people, still being under the jurisdiction of the European Court,
:33:22. > :33:24.and you also want to stay in the customs union which means you could
:33:25. > :33:26.not do your own free trade deals. What is the difference between that
:33:27. > :33:29.and being a member of the European Union? We would be like Norway,
:33:30. > :33:31.outside the European Union and inside the single market. The key
:33:32. > :33:36.question is the issue of jobs and the ability to continue to trade.
:33:37. > :33:40.Wales exports, we are the biggest exporter in the whole of the UK, so
:33:41. > :33:48.there are many jobs reliant upon those goods being able to be sold to
:33:49. > :33:54.the single market. Is it central to the UK? Out of the four countries
:33:55. > :34:01.that make up the UK... Proportionally, yes. If you remain
:34:02. > :34:05.in the single market, it is hard to see how Wales could stay in the
:34:06. > :34:10.single market if the UK -- when the rest of the UK was not, you cite
:34:11. > :34:15.Norway, that has free movement, it has to be said, it effectively have
:34:16. > :34:19.to accept the jurisdiction of the European Court, it is not in the
:34:20. > :34:28.customs union so it can do some of its own free trade deals, but the
:34:29. > :34:31.Welsh people voted to leave. We have to accept the principle of free
:34:32. > :34:35.movement if there is not going to be a hard border between the north and
:34:36. > :34:40.south of Ireland. There is going to be free movement within Ireland and
:34:41. > :34:45.therefore freedom of movement, as we said in the referendum campaign,
:34:46. > :34:50.would be very, very difficult to rule out. You lost that campaign, as
:34:51. > :34:57.you know, Wales voted to leave, 17 Council areas voted to leave, only
:34:58. > :35:01.five voted to remain. Doesn't it explain why your party is going
:35:02. > :35:07.nowhere? A majority in Wales voted to leave but you effectively want to
:35:08. > :35:11.support that and de facto remain in the EU? I don't accept that, we
:35:12. > :35:17.accepted the result but Plaid Cymru now is about defending Wales. There
:35:18. > :35:21.are so many risks facing our people from the jobs perspective, the
:35:22. > :35:25.privatisation perspective, the cuts perspective, and from the fact that
:35:26. > :35:30.the Tories would like to grab power was back from our National Assembly,
:35:31. > :35:34.so the key point... If you look at the Wales bill that went through
:35:35. > :35:37.recently, the list of reserved powers there suggests there are some
:35:38. > :35:44.powers currently within the Welsh Assembly jurisdiction that would be
:35:45. > :35:49.dragged back. Which power was will Westminster take back? They could
:35:50. > :35:56.take powers back over the NHS, for example. There is no indication they
:35:57. > :36:05.want to do that. The Tories have attacked the Welsh NHS. That is my
:36:06. > :36:08.point! Quite viciously. If they increase their mandate, I wouldn't
:36:09. > :36:13.put it past them to try to take power was back over the NHS and then
:36:14. > :36:18.of course we risk our NHS being privatised though this election is
:36:19. > :36:20.all about defending Wales, protecting Welsh people from further
:36:21. > :36:25.privatisation and cuts and a power grab from the Tories. Why is there
:36:26. > :36:30.never a breakthrough for your party, Plaid Cymru? Labour dominated in
:36:31. > :36:34.Wales for years, the Tories do quite well, Ukip had a surge for a while,
:36:35. > :36:39.it looks like the Tories will have another surge, never you, always the
:36:40. > :36:43.bridesmaid, never the bride. Wait until Thursday and I think you will
:36:44. > :36:46.see that in many parts of Wales we will increase our representation at
:36:47. > :36:53.a local council level. In the Rhondda, where I am assembly member,
:36:54. > :37:01.we are looking to increase our representation... You are only 13%
:37:02. > :37:05.in the polls will stop which is half of even the Tories in Wales! If you
:37:06. > :37:12.don't breakthrough in the selection, if the real problem is going
:37:13. > :37:17.nowhere, do you think you will pack it in? Robert Green not, I have a
:37:18. > :37:21.job to do, a vision of Wales which is about building up our nation and
:37:22. > :37:25.standing on our own two feet and my job is not done yet. Thank you for
:37:26. > :37:29.being with us as part of your job, we will see how it goes on Thursday.
:37:30. > :37:31.It's just gone 11.35, you're watching the Sunday Politics.
:37:32. > :37:34.We say goodbye to viewers in Scotland who leave us now
:37:35. > :37:43.Coming up here in 20 minutes, the Week Ahead.
:37:44. > :37:47.Coming up in the North West: six of the candidates standing to be
:37:48. > :37:52.Roger Bannister from the Trade Unionist and
:37:53. > :37:55.Socialist Coalition, Tabitha Morton from
:37:56. > :37:58.the Women's Equality Party, Tom Crone is the Green Party
:37:59. > :38:01.candidate, Carl Cashman is standing for the Liberal Democrats,
:38:02. > :38:05.Tony Caldeira for the Conservatives and Paula Walters for UKIP.
:38:06. > :38:09.The Labour candidate Steve Rotheram declined to take part because he's
:38:10. > :38:12.out campaigning ahead of the general election.
:38:13. > :38:16.Paul Breen from Get The Coppers Off The Jury isn't here either.
:38:17. > :38:21.More information on them and all the candidates on the BBC website.
:38:22. > :38:29.But before we hear from them, let's just remind ourselves
:38:30. > :38:41.This election is in the newly created Liverpool City Region.
:38:42. > :38:47.In fact, it is the five Merseyside councils -
:38:48. > :38:51.that's Sefton, Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens and Wirral,
:38:52. > :38:56.plus Halton in Cheshire - a total population of 1.5 million.
:38:57. > :38:58.So, what powers will the new mayor have?
:38:59. > :39:02.Well, not as many as his or her counterpart in greater Manchester.
:39:03. > :39:06.For example, there is no control over the police, fire and rescue,
:39:07. > :39:16.But the mayor will be in charge of transport,
:39:17. > :39:18.with the potential to sort out bus routes and ticketing.
:39:19. > :39:21.Housing is another area, as is money to invest
:39:22. > :39:25.Their powers will be fairly limited, actually.
:39:26. > :39:29.They will mostly be in things like transport, and in planning -
:39:30. > :39:33.planning for housing development, skills and so on.
:39:34. > :39:35.There will be more over time, we know that.
:39:36. > :39:38.But this is a change, it is a significant change,
:39:39. > :39:40.because for a long time there has been nobody, or no elected
:39:41. > :39:44.individual, who has really spoken for this full city region.
:39:45. > :39:47.What are the issues voters want the new mayor to tackle?
:39:48. > :39:50.Transport is one of the things that affects me.
:39:51. > :39:51.Like, housing and that has affected people I know,
:39:52. > :39:58.Because I am fairly young, myself, so that will be important to me.
:39:59. > :40:00.I want to get a job more than anything.
:40:01. > :40:03.Definitely, to make sure that housing isn't
:40:04. > :40:07.I would like more creative industry opportunities
:40:08. > :40:13.We've told you what it is and where it is.
:40:14. > :40:16.It'll be up to you to decide who becomes the mayor
:40:17. > :40:33.So, we build drill down to your specific policies and areas like
:40:34. > :40:37.transport shortly, but I wanted to start with Brexit. It is a big
:40:38. > :40:42.talking point of the moment. There is nothing you can do to reverse a
:40:43. > :40:46.decision, but you will have to do as mayor is deal with the Follett of
:40:47. > :40:52.Britain leaving the European Union. We know it has been enormously
:40:53. > :40:58.influential in Liverpool. Things like the airport, restorations, what
:40:59. > :41:07.balance and that? I think the point balance and that? I think the point
:41:08. > :41:12.about Brexit for Liverpool and the Liverpool City Region is common to
:41:13. > :41:17.the north of England. I would certainly look to work with other
:41:18. > :41:20.local authority leaders, other metro mayor is, to make sure the voice of
:41:21. > :41:26.the north is held within the Brexit negotiations. We have been a period
:41:27. > :41:29.of industrial decline, we have certain benefits from the EU. I
:41:30. > :41:38.because I don't think it is helpful because I don't think it is helpful
:41:39. > :41:42.to ordinary working class people. If you look at certain villains, you
:41:43. > :41:50.can see that the EU exist to undermine the rights... While we be
:41:51. > :41:55.better off if believe the European Union? I think it is very dangerous.
:41:56. > :42:00.The Women's Equality Party is one of the only parties retracted reverse
:42:01. > :42:04.Article 50, because workers I could roll back very easily when we're out
:42:05. > :42:08.of the EU, and also many women slate as well. I think we have to fight
:42:09. > :42:13.for those lights and to make sure they are protected. Also that people
:42:14. > :42:18.have led their many years, and who have added to our economy, feel safe
:42:19. > :42:21.and secure and realise the Liverpool City Region is for them. New
:42:22. > :42:27.campaign to leave the European Union. Are you not concerned about
:42:28. > :42:38.workers' rights? And we will lose ?190 million by one. What do we do
:42:39. > :42:42.without massive in the budget? This guide and following. Every time I
:42:43. > :42:47.see this, I gets shouted down. But it is not their money, it is their
:42:48. > :42:55.more of it. Liverpool to get more more of it. Liverpool to get more
:42:56. > :43:04.than its pretend, pound for pound. Particular care back to Liverpool
:43:05. > :43:11.City Region, you look at the Fisherman, if you look at the
:43:12. > :43:16.deprivation... There is no guarantee that outside the EU things will be
:43:17. > :43:22.better. There is no guarantee. There are other areas that have got
:43:23. > :43:30.absolutely nothing. Like I say, this guy hasn't falling and. Why can that
:43:31. > :43:34.money be used elsewhere? I think a lot of working-class people and the
:43:35. > :43:38.city might believe this guy has actually follow and, because what
:43:39. > :43:45.policies is dreadful. When we had managed decline and 80s, we had
:43:46. > :43:50.objective one status from the European Union. They didn't give up
:43:51. > :44:01.on us, and we shouldn't give up on YouTube now. What can you do. We
:44:02. > :44:05.need to make sure powers are repatriated to the region and not
:44:06. > :44:13.Westminster. As near, what would you do to make that happen? I would
:44:14. > :44:19.speak to Theresa May. I would make sure we have a voice as an
:44:20. > :44:22.internationalist city region. I want to work with the men of greater
:44:23. > :44:27.Manchester and with the Northern Ireland December to create an
:44:28. > :44:32.assembly that make sure we come together as a real northern
:44:33. > :44:37.powerhouse and take our case to Theresa May and take a case to
:44:38. > :44:48.Europe as well. Tony, when George Ward Osborne was -- when George
:44:49. > :44:51.Osborne was Chancellor, he was knocking on the door. As Theresa May
:44:52. > :44:57.as committed? She is fully committed. The people of the UK
:44:58. > :45:01.decided to leave the European Union and we have got to get on with it
:45:02. > :45:06.both as a meeting, as a city region, and as a Government as well. In
:45:07. > :45:10.terms of the Liverpool City Region, we have lots and lots of
:45:11. > :45:14.opportunities. We have a brand-new Superport so they exported to
:45:15. > :45:18.countries around the world. We must take advantage of the natural
:45:19. > :45:21.opportunities we have. With the law exchange rate, our business and
:45:22. > :45:26.economy is huge for Liverpool City Region and that will bring more
:45:27. > :45:36.business. Pascal have a point that we should try and retain the rights
:45:37. > :45:39.we have under the European union? CEU has guaranteed certain rights
:45:40. > :45:42.for workers which tapping very important. It is also guaranteed
:45:43. > :45:47.environmental protection that we wouldn't have had outside the EU.
:45:48. > :45:51.Wildlife is better protected, our beaches are cleaner as a result of
:45:52. > :45:55.being an EU. I worried that a Conservative Government will be
:45:56. > :45:58.willing to take this legislation that protects workers and the
:45:59. > :46:00.environment. It is a desperate race to the bottom to try to attract
:46:01. > :46:08.business to the country after Brexit. I will be campaigning very
:46:09. > :46:12.hard to maintain as many of these as possible, because it is very
:46:13. > :46:16.important. It is essential that the funding we have been getting from
:46:17. > :46:20.the EU is replaced by central Government, and that is extremely
:46:21. > :46:26.important. How do you make that happen? There is no guarantees about
:46:27. > :46:30.funding from central Government. No more has been put on paper. What do
:46:31. > :46:37.you say to central Government about investment? As I said earlier, we
:46:38. > :46:42.have to make the case and make it stronger. We have to look for allies
:46:43. > :46:47.in similar positions, and that is what I believed then also divide is
:46:48. > :46:50.an issue for those, because of the period of industrial decline. I
:46:51. > :46:55.don't accept that we had managed decline, it was chaotic. Big
:46:56. > :46:57.business, manufacturers who pulled out absolutely hammered the
:46:58. > :47:04.industrial base of Liverpool City Region and left does as a rust belt.
:47:05. > :47:15.There was nothing managed about that. It was an absolute disgrace.
:47:16. > :47:18.And yet the introduced in investment. They workers' rights
:47:19. > :47:24.thing is overplayed. We had better workers' rights than many of the
:47:25. > :47:32.minimum rights and the European Union. It is a matter of recognising
:47:33. > :47:35.what the EU was far. It was media to help Merseyside, it was there to
:47:36. > :47:44.enable the rights in the European Union to get even richer. I have no
:47:45. > :47:49.problem with immigration, but the idea that the labour force of the EU
:47:50. > :47:53.has now been gradually changed so that you recruit in one country and
:47:54. > :48:00.ship them over for a crucial period of time, the writer undermined, it
:48:01. > :48:03.does damage that family life. Is that point, Tabitha? This is an
:48:04. > :48:10.opportunity to be better than the EU. I think we have to be very
:48:11. > :48:15.careful about that. I don't see any leadership in the current Government
:48:16. > :48:24.offering that. I think the Metronet has an opportunity here. -- the
:48:25. > :48:28.Metro Mayor has an opportunity. Governments have to be held
:48:29. > :48:33.responsible. We need to do particle things. I launch my policy to have
:48:34. > :48:37.university childcare for all, and that really can take advantage of
:48:38. > :48:41.the ?23 billion we are losing and the north-west because of the
:48:42. > :48:46.productivity gap, so we can get families back into work again. So
:48:47. > :48:52.women, and Dads can actually have a choice of how they go to work. There
:48:53. > :48:56.is this balance constantly between drawing the economy and having
:48:57. > :49:01.should be either. We can do both. should be either. We can do both.
:49:02. > :49:05.Let me ask all of you, because I'm sure you all say yes, I will be
:49:06. > :49:10.asking the Prime Minister for more money, I will be lobbying for more
:49:11. > :49:17.powers. As it stands, this is a disappointing deal. As mayor, what
:49:18. > :49:20.can you actually do? I do agree there is not enough money in the
:49:21. > :49:23.deal and the powers that have been devolved don't make it real
:49:24. > :49:27.demolition. This has been agreed behind closed doors without the
:49:28. > :49:31.involvement of local people. It is a half-hearted deal. We have to fight
:49:32. > :49:34.from. Speaking to central Government is a key part of that, making the
:49:35. > :49:39.case for a region and demanding more money and powers is part of it. I
:49:40. > :49:46.resilient local economies I will be resilient local economies I will be
:49:47. > :49:48.businesses, and encouraging businesses,
:49:49. > :49:52.cooperative models, and also tried cooperative models, and also tried
:49:53. > :49:55.Revolution here and Liverpool City Revolution here and Liverpool City
:49:56. > :49:58.Region. There are a lot of things we can do locally as well. On top of
:49:59. > :50:02.all those things, we should be asking for more freedom for how we
:50:03. > :50:05.raise revenue. We are very raise revenue. We are very
:50:06. > :50:11.constrained at the moment. I would like to bring in the land value tax
:50:12. > :50:16.which would raise money without having to take any more money from
:50:17. > :50:21.talking about the fact that the talking about the fact that the
:50:22. > :50:24.behind closed doors. Should there be behind closed doors. Should there be
:50:25. > :50:31.a referendum in the Liverpool City Region about whether this mayor
:50:32. > :50:34.position should even exist? I think there should be. The very nature of
:50:35. > :50:42.devolution as to get people local and dispersed power. Isn't it a
:50:43. > :50:47.normal waste of time and resources? Not at all. The people and this
:50:48. > :50:50.region shouldn't be treated as second-class. This shouldn't be
:50:51. > :50:53.giving a third rate deal. This should be as whether they wanted
:50:54. > :50:58.this and post. We do want devolution, we want to make your own
:50:59. > :51:02.decisions on community. We don't want the power centralised without
:51:03. > :51:04.having a say. Fair enough, if the people say yes they
:51:05. > :51:10.mayor, that is fine. But let's have mayor, that is fine. But let's have
:51:11. > :51:16.the people decide. A referendum once your mirror? I actually agree. The
:51:17. > :51:23.only reason I am standing there is that I believe there will be a lot
:51:24. > :51:27.of vanity project that Liverpool city... Why would people vote for
:51:28. > :51:32.you if you don't think there should be a mayor? Because I would stop
:51:33. > :51:37.this happening. All the money would be used century. It would be used on
:51:38. > :51:41.big vanity project. I will give unit is ample. The spec high-speed train.
:51:42. > :51:50.We have been told that that project will cost our region ?2 billion.
:51:51. > :51:57.Editors and the Liverpool Echo that mayors have said that how we raise
:51:58. > :52:06.this money is to get a loan. And a bundle then be paid for by local
:52:07. > :52:07.taxes and by future tunnel feels. Don't go for this project if you
:52:08. > :52:15.don't have the money. Is that a fair point that Merseyside
:52:16. > :52:20.in Liverpool city region have to invest more than they get out of
:52:21. > :52:24.what Pollock was vanity projects? Or do we have to speculate to
:52:25. > :52:29.accumulate? That is a common misconception. A lot of investment
:52:30. > :52:32.has gone into the Liverpool city region recently and you have the
:52:33. > :52:37.Mersey Gateway Bridge and education of the railways. You have two new
:52:38. > :52:41.hospitals and 12 new schools. That is a lot of money going to the city
:52:42. > :52:49.region and as a result of that our economy has grown by 3.6% and we
:52:50. > :52:51.have record employment. As mayor of the Liverpool city region I will be
:52:52. > :52:55.banging on about the positives and the good things that can be done.
:52:56. > :52:59.Even if it means getting into more debt as a public body in the short
:53:00. > :53:06.term? We need to get a proper case together and use the mayor funding
:53:07. > :53:12.that we have to make sure that we can go to government and make sure
:53:13. > :53:18.that we see this stacks up and this is responsible government and what
:53:19. > :53:22.we want to do. When you have local councils losing ?40 million per year
:53:23. > :53:30.in the funding, ?30 million per year in the whole city within is not
:53:31. > :53:33.enough. -- region. It is not anything new what we need. We don't
:53:34. > :53:43.have the same powers as Manchester and we need more funding. The need
:53:44. > :53:48.to make sure people have a real say. That's where address this narrow
:53:49. > :53:53.that we don't want to be mayor because we have a referendum. It is
:53:54. > :53:57.giving people a real state. You can say I don't think we should have
:53:58. > :54:04.this city mayor but it needs more powers. You've got to decide whether
:54:05. > :54:08.you will give it a good first if you won the election or if you're going
:54:09. > :54:14.to campaign to get rid of it. I don't think you can write those two
:54:15. > :54:18.bikes together. I think we need to stop playing politics with people's
:54:19. > :54:21.lives. As with the rape crisis Centre during the week whose clients
:54:22. > :54:26.have doubled during the year but had half the funding cut and have half
:54:27. > :54:34.the staff. Playing politics is wrong. We need to make sure that
:54:35. > :54:37.metro mayor make sure the funding is to end violence against women and
:54:38. > :54:41.girls across the region because we have the highest rate of domestic
:54:42. > :54:44.violence and the whole of the UK and no strategy across the region. This
:54:45. > :54:51.week I announced our strategy to do that and some of my colleagues on
:54:52. > :54:53.the panel today signed up for that. Unfortunately the conservative and
:54:54. > :54:58.Ukip candidates did not sign up for that. I will make sure that whatever
:54:59. > :55:02.happens in the 4th of May we have that strategy because people do not
:55:03. > :55:06.stop suffering because that is not enough money. Often those cuts
:55:07. > :55:09.because of national policy. He talked about regional council cuts
:55:10. > :55:16.but one area where you will have more control as mayor is transport.
:55:17. > :55:21.We know that the tunnels generate ?37 million of revenue annually.
:55:22. > :55:25.Some of you want to get rid of the tunnel tolls because you feel it is
:55:26. > :55:32.too much about burden on families and live there. Tom, do we keep
:55:33. > :55:36.them? We do keep them. I'm looking at variable pricing. Rather than
:55:37. > :55:41.increasing or decreasing them, we increase at rush hours to discourage
:55:42. > :55:43.people from driving on a daily basis into town centres. We could maybe
:55:44. > :55:49.make them cheaper in the middle of the day there for productive
:55:50. > :56:01.business trips a day to take place between the wobble and Liverpool are
:56:02. > :56:09.not hampered by it. -- well. -- Wirral. Air pollution causes 1000
:56:10. > :56:17.every deaths a year across Liverpool region. That is like a good idea. If
:56:18. > :56:23.you travel at peak time. It will discourage people. People working
:56:24. > :56:31.from 9-to-5 paying enough. They are paying the car tax. This shouldn't
:56:32. > :56:36.be paying. -- they should not be paying. We have rightly paid ?1
:56:37. > :56:45.billion for our tunnels. -- already paid. The money is being siphoned
:56:46. > :56:53.off elsewhere. Why should the people not pay for it to use it? Because
:56:54. > :57:00.people live in Liverpool and they work in The Wirral and vice versa.
:57:01. > :57:07.It is eternal and does not take much upkeep. So 37 million will be met by
:57:08. > :57:12.everyone in the region? No, it will not. The funding will come from a
:57:13. > :57:17.room tax. This is all over the world. You can seat in Las Vegas and
:57:18. > :57:20.seat in Singapore and works. It means that people coming into the
:57:21. > :57:25.night pay a room tax which is the night pay a room tax which is the
:57:26. > :57:31.cost of a pint of beer or a glass of wine and that would immensely go
:57:32. > :57:36.towards funding the tunnels. Is that a good idea? I think our visitor
:57:37. > :57:39.economy is one that is one of our unique selling point across in
:57:40. > :57:44.Liverpool city region and we need to attract more of just. Will it be
:57:45. > :57:48.noticed? I think it will. I know it happens in Brussels. It is more
:57:49. > :57:53.inconvenient and another stint. I want people to come to a region and
:57:54. > :57:57.across the whole city region is well and enjoy the state and think what a
:57:58. > :58:02.fantastic place to be an visit and work and I am going to compete
:58:03. > :58:08.again. But the benefits of those collective powers I'd it? Would an
:58:09. > :58:13.extra couple of quid put people off? I think we need to be a low tax
:58:14. > :58:18.economy as much as we can. You do support the tunnel types? I think at
:58:19. > :58:25.this point in time we have no choice because of funding structure. I do
:58:26. > :58:28.not like the funding tunnel tolls. We have to see how we can do it
:58:29. > :58:35.without affecting some of the services. I don't think they feel at
:58:36. > :58:39.all. I think how we should be free and funded. The ad we have now is
:58:40. > :58:45.that the new bridge will have a tool on it. And then because there
:58:46. > :58:51.personal toll on the existing Runcorn Bridge nobody will use the
:58:52. > :58:57.new bridge. Then there was talk about introducing a toll on the
:58:58. > :59:03.existing Runcorn Bridge. Highway should be paid out of public
:59:04. > :59:15.expenditure. Let's hear from Tabatha. We need fear tolls so
:59:16. > :59:19.people in The Wirral can travel between the cities. It is often
:59:20. > :59:22.women and young people who are penalised so we want to get people
:59:23. > :59:25.into training and people into employment and the other people who
:59:26. > :59:34.need public transport. I think we should use that money to fund
:59:35. > :59:42.affordable access. Is that how it should be this beauty? Across public
:59:43. > :59:44.transport? How do you mean? Tabatha was seeing money should be
:59:45. > :59:54.reinvested from the tours across public transport. This should not be
:59:55. > :00:01.a toll. For their intended to do with the new bridge is not have a
:00:02. > :00:07.toll on site. People are intended to go online and book your toll. In
:00:08. > :00:13.other areas people are being fined so there are cases where mistaken
:00:14. > :00:19.identity in the car. There are lots of false in the system. Should we
:00:20. > :00:22.get rid of the tolls? I don't you going to get rid of the tours and
:00:23. > :00:26.increase for attacks because we simply haven't got power over that.
:00:27. > :00:31.I think we need to look at it in the longer term and we need to expand
:00:32. > :00:38.our vision on this. What I want do is enhance the walrus car making
:00:39. > :00:49.sure we can get through the tunnels with that. You will be head of
:00:50. > :00:52.strategic planning as mayor and will have compulsory purchase powers and
:00:53. > :00:56.call in planning applications you don't agree with. When you think
:00:57. > :00:58.about the fact that the average price of a house across Liverpool
:00:59. > :01:02.city region is five times the average salary would we start? Tom,
:01:03. > :01:22.what would you do to make that easier and fearful? -- fear? -- more
:01:23. > :01:29.fair. At the moment tax on the green belt on the benefits a few people. I
:01:30. > :01:35.would prioritise building a brown field sites more than green belt
:01:36. > :01:40.size but I would recognise that a brown belt sites, some of them are
:01:41. > :01:44.ecological importance. To take pressure off green space for housing
:01:45. > :01:50.developments I would have a policy focusing on high-quality, density
:01:51. > :01:54.urban developments in town centres modelled on some of the best
:01:55. > :01:58.European cities. That is a lot of concern that all of the attention
:01:59. > :02:04.will be our Ben and that the banner of Liverpool itself will garner all
:02:05. > :02:11.the attention and budget. What would you say to Holton and Mosley? I
:02:12. > :02:17.would make sure that everybody has the built-up areas and all of -- a
:02:18. > :02:21.lot of these areas need reinvigorating. If we use good urban
:02:22. > :02:24.design it will really bring these places back to life and make much
:02:25. > :02:28.more sustainable committees were people of course the and live close
:02:29. > :02:34.to schools and close to the shops so they don't have to get a car. Is it
:02:35. > :02:39.a good idea to invest equally in all six banners to develop the urban
:02:40. > :02:43.Central parts of them which is oversubscribed? Orders that create
:02:44. > :02:47.chaos? I think it makes sense to build what I would say is a city
:02:48. > :02:51.region the box for everybody. I want to see opportunity and different
:02:52. > :03:01.projects and funds spread across the whole city region. Do you buy that
:03:02. > :03:08.intersect? It is not that simple. The plan is to build 25,000 new
:03:09. > :03:14.homes by 2020. As part of the government strive to build a million
:03:15. > :03:17.new homes. Without encroaching on green belt? Exactly. What we need to
:03:18. > :03:26.do now is protect those green spaces at all costs. Expansion all suckers
:03:27. > :03:35.only -- exceptional circumstances only. St Helens has an issue with
:03:36. > :03:47.development and there are some industrial sites it could be used.
:03:48. > :03:59.25,000 new homes are smart the area has 2% of the country's population.
:04:00. > :04:05.Is it realistically economically, Roger? Is it desirable? I think it
:04:06. > :04:11.is desirable and is a great need for affordable housing. Even when there
:04:12. > :04:17.are thousands of homes sat with nobody in across Merseyside? They
:04:18. > :04:22.have been left into decline and they need investment. Do you start
:04:23. > :04:28.building new ones? I don't think it's an either or. We need to start
:04:29. > :04:32.building new homes. We need to make sure they are affordable and
:04:33. > :04:38.Alderman Brownfield sites. Perhaps the one benefit of being in an era
:04:39. > :04:51.of industrial decline is that there is plenty of Brownfield sites about.
:04:52. > :04:54.Everywhere I have been people are concerned about holding onto the
:04:55. > :04:58.green belt and I think we need to keep the green spaces that we've
:04:59. > :05:02.got. Everyone will see less prioritise Brownfield and try to
:05:03. > :05:09.protect the green belt. What will you try to do that is different?
:05:10. > :05:12.Tony's government of those who want is to build houses on the green belt
:05:13. > :05:19.in collusion with Labour councils. I will bring in Brownfield development
:05:20. > :05:23.cooperative to bring in the Brownfield sites and build a home is
:05:24. > :05:27.at the need for the future and build them in the right place. To make
:05:28. > :05:30.sure that the affordable as well. Far too often we have these
:05:31. > :05:34.high-priced luxury and affordable homes built in the leafy suburbs. We
:05:35. > :05:40.need to make sure we have the houses for the future built on the right
:05:41. > :05:44.places. Tabatha you will have to work with the leaders of the council
:05:45. > :05:46.labour representatives. You manage those personalities when they have
:05:47. > :05:49.the plans for housing in the right places. Tabatha you will have to
:05:50. > :05:51.work with the leaders of the council Labour representatives. How do you
:05:52. > :05:54.manage those personalities when they have the plans for housing and you
:05:55. > :05:56.have to get the boat through the authority? It is the very reason I
:05:57. > :05:59.am standing. When I saw the devolution deal signed by the nine
:06:00. > :06:04.middle-aged white men. That does not reflect our region. I think the
:06:05. > :06:07.region deserves fresh ideas and with asking the same old parties, the
:06:08. > :06:13.same old ideas. I think talking about housing, there is a shocking
:06:14. > :06:19.housing shortage but we need to create homes not houses. I grew up
:06:20. > :06:23.in a council estate in Netherton and there were 700 families living there
:06:24. > :06:27.was a raw seven shops and a tiny recreation area. That is housing
:06:28. > :06:30.that they are not homes. We need to create committees were people can
:06:31. > :06:38.work and play and gather together so that will require careful planning.
:06:39. > :06:41.What other nuts and bolts of that? It means making sure we're not
:06:42. > :06:47.throwing up roses for housing sake. It needs to be right houses and make
:06:48. > :06:50.sure that I transport links. So that people are not travelling halfway
:06:51. > :06:54.across the region to work. It is also training and skills for people.
:06:55. > :07:06.Paul, is that key to building a community not just a house? --
:07:07. > :07:13.parlour. -- Paula. Who is paying for that interest? It is interest-free
:07:14. > :07:21.but once the workers varnished we get it back. -- work is finished. We
:07:22. > :07:32.will get the money and it will already be there. It will come out
:07:33. > :07:39.the pot of cash of the mayor. We will end up with a concrete jungle
:07:40. > :07:53.if we do that. Give interest-free loans to local builders.
:07:54. > :07:59.You will have as many a lot of influence of education for 16 to
:08:00. > :08:05.18-year-old. You will have the power to redesign apprenticeships. Let's
:08:06. > :08:10.talk about Knowsley. A lot of adults leave school without any
:08:11. > :08:17.qualifications whatsoever. Twice the national average. How do you improve
:08:18. > :08:21.this? It is important because my business is in Knowsley. I
:08:22. > :08:25.understand the committee very well, and it doesn't have that sex from
:08:26. > :08:37.college. That is not acceptable in 2017. -- ASICs form college. I think
:08:38. > :08:41.we can improve the education by learning from skills and sharing
:08:42. > :08:44.best practice from across the region. For example in Wirral we
:08:45. > :08:48.have selective grammar schools, and if they had that in Knowsley, you
:08:49. > :08:54.would find their attainment would go up, and we would end up with better
:08:55. > :09:01.outcomes. More grammar schools? They bring up the average. Is that fair?
:09:02. > :09:07.Totally disagree. I have worked in Knowsley for 40 years. Grammar
:09:08. > :09:09.skills aren't the answer. I can be slightly dispassionate about this
:09:10. > :09:13.because I went to a grammar school that turned into a comprehensive
:09:14. > :09:16.part way through. One thing we have seen with the expansion of
:09:17. > :09:19.comprehensive education is it is massively increase the number of
:09:20. > :09:25.young people going to urge universities. No one can take that
:09:26. > :09:29.away. But we have a problem with children and young people who don't
:09:30. > :09:32.want to go and that direction. I don't think the offer an education
:09:33. > :09:37.system that is good for them. All these problems are compounded with
:09:38. > :09:48.academisation. What will you do as much mayor? I would make sure there
:09:49. > :09:53.is adequate funding for post school Mac education. Why do you do with
:09:54. > :10:01.it. You put it into the school Mac 's to make sure you get over the
:10:02. > :10:12.problem of Knowsley having no sex from education whatsoever. -- six
:10:13. > :10:19.form education. How do you make sure everyone across a liveable city
:10:20. > :10:22.region has an opportunity. I want to bring about a low carbon Industrial
:10:23. > :10:28.Revolution to Liverpool City Region. I want to see it zero carbon by
:10:29. > :10:31.2030. That is a huge challenge. That was what lots of new job
:10:32. > :10:38.opportunities and attract new industries. If you are 16 and you
:10:39. > :10:46.want past one JC 's Admiral GCSE, how will that help you? People will
:10:47. > :10:55.see that there is a real, exciting industry to go into. I want to focus
:10:56. > :11:00.on that, but I want to... Does that mean we should look at more
:11:01. > :11:06.vocational training? Should be give everyone an apprenticeship? No. I am
:11:07. > :11:11.all for grammar schools. I think all children are different. Some
:11:12. > :11:15.children need to go to grammar schools. It is what they need for
:11:16. > :11:20.their career. Other people don't. I don't think we should lump everyone
:11:21. > :11:23.together in a comprehensive system. We should keep the comprehensives,
:11:24. > :11:32.we should also have the grammars, and we should also have colleges. I
:11:33. > :11:36.think you're been shouted down because it is absolutely disgusting
:11:37. > :11:39.to judge someone on the educational abilities analyse chances based on a
:11:40. > :11:48.test when there are 11 years old. That is completely wrong. We want to
:11:49. > :11:56.bring back secondary moderns. It is not bringing back secondary moderns.
:11:57. > :12:04.We do it in Wirral. We have comprehensive, grammar skills, all
:12:05. > :12:08.they need extra as... Grammar skills is not the answer. What is the
:12:09. > :12:13.answer? I am from Knowsley so I was and that education system that was
:12:14. > :12:18.bottom of the education tables for the country. I want is to be a
:12:19. > :12:25.global, while beating system. How, though? We can't be that Raimi are
:12:26. > :12:30.bottom of the league table. I want to make sure people don't feel
:12:31. > :12:34.pushed down a certain path, that they don't have to go down a
:12:35. > :12:38.university education power. I want to bring in degree level
:12:39. > :12:45.apprenticeships to match degrees. Is that realistic, Tabitha? I
:12:46. > :12:48.understand this completely because Alaska with no qualifications, and
:12:49. > :12:53.if I didn't do an apprenticeship, I wouldn't be here today. It is a real
:12:54. > :12:57.passion of mine, but we have to make sure we are giving our young people
:12:58. > :13:01.options. Nationally, 96% of UK apprenticeships are taking up by
:13:02. > :13:06.young women. 4% of the engineering apprenticeships are taking up by
:13:07. > :13:12.young men. Young women, sorry. That does not reflect what young people
:13:13. > :13:18.want to do. Talking to companies across the region, they are crying
:13:19. > :13:24.out for employees. We are not supplying them. We have the jobs, so
:13:25. > :13:28.as mayor, I would incentivise training to recruit women. We will
:13:29. > :13:31.have to leave it there, I'm afraid, because we're out of time. Voters in
:13:32. > :13:35.the Liverpool City Region ahead to the on Thursday.
:13:36. > :13:37.More on all the candidates on the BBC website.
:13:38. > :13:41.A reminder that elections are also taking place for the mayor
:13:42. > :13:43.of Greater Manchester and Lancashire, Cumbria
:13:44. > :13:46.We'll have the results, reaction and what it could mean
:13:47. > :13:48.for the general election on next week's programme.
:13:49. > :14:28.The East End girl who became the nation's favourite.
:14:29. > :14:33.We don't know what it is, but she definitely has... Something.
:14:34. > :14:38.From stage to screen and into our hearts.
:14:39. > :14:45.Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ooh, in't she wonderful?
:14:46. > :14:49.If you're not careful, you'll end up playing this sexy little blonde