0:00:35 > 0:00:37Morning, everyone, and welcome to the Sunday Politics.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39I'm Sarah Smith.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43And for the last time in 2017, this is your guide to the big
0:00:43 > 0:00:47political stories making the news this Sunday morning.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Theresa May says she's silenced the doubters by securing a deal
0:00:49 > 0:00:57for Britain in the first phase of the Brexit negotations.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Now attention turns to the much bigger task of deciding our future
0:01:00 > 0:01:01relationship with the EU.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04She'll be discussing that with her cabinet this week,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07but with so many huge unresolved questions about life after Brexit,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10can we possibly expect seasonal goodwill to break out
0:01:10 > 0:01:16across the Tory party and the country?
0:01:16 > 0:01:21And I'm here at stunning Warwick Castle to find out whether people
0:01:21 > 0:01:23here think that Labour are ready or not ready for government,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And on Sunday Politics Scotland at 11.35am, as well as a look back
0:01:26 > 0:01:29over the year, we'll be asking what's going wrong with our economy
0:01:29 > 0:01:39and can it be fixed?
0:01:42 > 0:01:47All that coming up in the programme, our final show of the year.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48Think of it as our early Christmas present,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51one I'm afraid you can't take back to the shops.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53And joining me today, Fleet Street's answer
0:01:53 > 0:01:55to Santa's little helpers, Tom Newton Dunn,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Camilla Tominey and Steve Richards.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Well, we began the year talking about Brexit,
0:02:01 > 0:02:08and we'll finish talking about... you've guessed it, Brexit.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10And there have been big developments in just the past week,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14which saw Theresa May go from hero to zero, to somewhere in between.
0:02:16 > 0:02:22Seasonal goodwill spread through the Conservative Party
0:02:22 > 0:02:25on Monday, when Theresa May reported back to Parliament on her deal to
0:02:25 > 0:02:27move Brexit talks on to phase two.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31When people like me, Brexiteers, look at the alternative,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33namely the Labour government, a Labour government staying
0:02:33 > 0:02:36in the single market forever and having no control over
0:02:36 > 0:02:38immigration, it's amazing how our minds are concentrated
0:02:38 > 0:02:42in support of the Prime Minister.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43Across these benches, complete unanimity
0:02:43 > 0:02:49in congratulating the Prime Minister on securing this agreement.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52That Christmas cheer did not last long.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55On the eve of the European summit to ratify the deal,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59the EU Withdrawal Bill was back in the Commons.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02The Government avoided defeat on several amendments,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04but then came former Attorney General Dominic Grieve
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and his call for MPs to have a meaningful vote
0:03:07 > 0:03:10on the final Brexit deal.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Brexit Secretary David Davis tried to head off the rebellion
0:03:12 > 0:03:14with a letter to backbenchers.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16In the final hour, there was a last-ditch offer.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19It wasn't enough.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22It's too late. I'm sorry.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25You cannot, you cannot treat the House in this fashion.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27The Prime Minister suffered her first defeat on government
0:03:27 > 0:03:30business of her premiership.
0:03:30 > 0:03:36The ayes to the right, 309. The noes to the left, 305.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41Labour were delighted.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45The Prime Minister tried a power grab, tried to push through the EU
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Withdrawal Bill without proper Parliamentary scrutiny and take
0:03:47 > 0:03:49powers away from Parliament. Parliament resisted tonight.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Brexit supporters were enraged.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55One rebel, Stephen Hammond, was promptly sacked
0:03:55 > 0:03:57as vice-chairman of the party.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01It was an embarrassment for Theresa May, not a fatal blow.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07On Thursday, she arrived in Brussels sounding upbeat.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09I'm disappointed with the amendment, but actually the, EU Withdrawal Bill
0:04:09 > 0:04:11is making good progress through the House of Commons,
0:04:11 > 0:04:17and we're on course to deliver on Brexit.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21She was applauded by leaders of the 27 EU member states,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24rewarded on Friday with a tweet from EU Council President Donald
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Tusk confirming they had agreed to move on to phase two
0:04:27 > 0:04:30of the talks.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34"Congratulations, Theresa May," he said.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Mrs May can't put her feet up for holidays just yet.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40The Cabinet will meet this week to discuss what the future
0:04:40 > 0:04:43relationship with the EU will look like for the first time.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46No one's expecting them all to be singing from the same carol sheet.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49But on Friday, a fresh rebellion over the EU
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Withdrawal Bill was headed off, so peace on earth, or at least
0:04:52 > 0:04:57within the Conservative Party, reigns for now.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06But how much longer can that harmony exist within the Cabinet? I will
0:05:06 > 0:05:11talk to the panel about next week's discussion on the future end state
0:05:11 > 0:05:15of our relations with the EU, because it will be discussed in
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Cabinet for the first time. Theresa May writing in the papers today, she
0:05:18 > 0:05:22proved the doubters wrong, is she right?She did in the sense that
0:05:22 > 0:05:27many people thought she wouldn't get through the first phase. They found
0:05:27 > 0:05:31words to bind all parties together. That's what she did in the first
0:05:31 > 0:05:36phase. She is right in that sense. The second phase of which this
0:05:36 > 0:05:42Cabinet meeting this week will be just an early tiptoeing on the
0:05:42 > 0:05:48Touraine, it will be much more mountainous and difficult. I suspect
0:05:48 > 0:05:53the Cabinet meeting will be merely exploring some of the themes, and
0:05:53 > 0:05:56there will be, for sure, no resolution as to what the
0:05:56 > 0:06:00government's final position will be. We have seen some themes explored
0:06:00 > 0:06:06this week, Philip Hammond yesterday in China talking about staying
0:06:06 > 0:06:09within the EU rules and regulations during the transition. We have Boris
0:06:09 > 0:06:14Johnson in the papers today setting out a vision for by virgin further
0:06:14 > 0:06:17from the EU then people like Hammond would like. Will that be aired in
0:06:17 > 0:06:23Cabinet?Are they going to be singing from the same carol sheet...
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Will they sing from the same spreadsheet in relation to Philip
0:06:27 > 0:06:33Hammond's desires? We note Boris Johnson speaking today in the Sunday
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Times, talking about the notion of eventual self-governance and a
0:06:36 > 0:06:41diverging. You have also got Michael Gove wanting, during the transition
0:06:41 > 0:06:46period, for us to be out of the common agricultural policy, Albert
0:06:46 > 0:06:49the Common fisheries policy, that will be a difficult issue for them
0:06:49 > 0:06:53to discuss. We are not even getting onto the end trade deal, and which
0:06:53 > 0:07:00direction do we want to go in? The Prime Minister has made clear she
0:07:00 > 0:07:03wants Canada plus model as opposed to a Norway style of agreement,
0:07:03 > 0:07:08which to be fair to her, she pointed out in Florence. She said an EEA
0:07:08 > 0:07:14agreement was not what was agreed, and we don't want to be rule takers.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18There is a lot to play for. Two Cabinet meetings, one of the
0:07:18 > 0:07:23subcabinet, the war committee, and the one on Tuesday following the
0:07:23 > 0:07:26parliament really address.The papers have gone on the idea that
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Boris is setting out a different vision of Britain after Brexit, but
0:07:30 > 0:07:34is it different to Theresa May in her Florence Beach?Not really. This
0:07:34 > 0:07:39is no different to what Boris has said, the Sunday before Christmas,
0:07:39 > 0:07:47there had to be a row -- Florence speech. This is well established
0:07:47 > 0:07:53positions, we know what they all think, and we have all been saying
0:07:53 > 0:07:57for a year and a half since the referendum that am at some stage, it
0:07:57 > 0:08:02would have to be crossed. There has to be a big choice between a
0:08:02 > 0:08:05diverging or harmonisation, because so far, the EU has been binary about
0:08:05 > 0:08:12it. It won't be solved in Cabinet this week or next month, my bet is,
0:08:12 > 0:08:18yet again, they will come up with a fudged to present to the EU, or
0:08:18 > 0:08:23Cabinet will fall apart and half of them will have to leave. Eventually,
0:08:23 > 0:08:31it will have to be grasped in the autumn when the EU say, "You either
0:08:31 > 0:08:34have to defecate or get off the potty, because this is what is in
0:08:34 > 0:08:40front of you." The third option was interesting, at the summit on
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Friday, something interesting happened, which was the EU blinked,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48they said, "Move on to trade and transition." But we are not quite
0:08:48 > 0:08:53ready to do trade. We are incredibly United to begin with, now we don't
0:08:53 > 0:09:00know what we want. We have three months before trade starts in March
0:09:00 > 0:09:05for everybody, for the British Governor, to influence the EU 27 in
0:09:05 > 0:09:09their thinking, and come up with a great third Way, which is cake and
0:09:09 > 0:09:12eat it.And will be considerably more corrugated than what we have
0:09:12 > 0:09:16done already. Stay there, we will come back to you during the course
0:09:16 > 0:09:19of the programme.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Well, we can speak now to the Conservative MP
0:09:21 > 0:09:22for mid-Bedfordshire.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24She ruffled some feathers this week when she said that pro-European
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Tories who rebelled on the EU Withdrawal Bill
0:09:26 > 0:09:27should be deselected.
0:09:27 > 0:09:34Thank you for joining us. Can we talk first about the transition, or
0:09:34 > 0:09:38implementation period, two years after we leave the EU, a number of
0:09:38 > 0:09:42your colleagues have expressed a number of serious concerns about the
0:09:42 > 0:09:45idea we will be following EU rules and regulations during that period,
0:09:45 > 0:09:50how worried are you about that?I think everybody's concerned about
0:09:50 > 0:09:55that. The important thing is, we get this period, this transition period,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59through and done as quickly as possible. Therefore, we have to
0:09:59 > 0:10:03reach agreement. The reason why it needs to be done as quickly as
0:10:03 > 0:10:06possible is because it is in Britain's interests, it is in the
0:10:06 > 0:10:11interest of business, who required stability and security, and
0:10:11 > 0:10:16confidence moving forward. We've do need to get to this position as
0:10:16 > 0:10:19quickly as possible. The rebels from last week are going to have to
0:10:19 > 0:10:23explain why, if they don't think we should leave the Commons fishery
0:10:23 > 0:10:28policy, why that would not be in Britain's interest. There is a lot
0:10:28 > 0:10:32up for debate going forward.The Chancellor made it clear that he
0:10:32 > 0:10:36would be replicating the status quo during this transition period. That
0:10:36 > 0:10:40doesn't mean leaving the common fisheries policy or die vaulting in
0:10:40 > 0:10:45any way from EU rules. -- by vaulting.During his budget speech,
0:10:45 > 0:10:54he himself talk about the uniqueness of Britain. It took about my own
0:10:54 > 0:10:58constituency and area, which will become a tech corridor. So he has
0:10:58 > 0:11:03highlighted areas where we can divert, which is in high-tech. We
0:11:03 > 0:11:08can do it in that area, we can do it in my constituency, like art we do
0:11:08 > 0:11:14it in other areas...The point he was talking about was, yesterday, he
0:11:14 > 0:11:17said, we would be subject to all old rules and regulations during that
0:11:17 > 0:11:23period.It also depends how long that period is going to be. Most
0:11:23 > 0:11:28reasonable and sensible people can accept a period of time when we need
0:11:28 > 0:11:32to have those discussions, and when we will abide by those rules. The
0:11:32 > 0:11:36problem is, what we don't want to see is Brexit constantly kicked into
0:11:36 > 0:11:39the long grass as we go further and further forward, and Brexit never
0:11:39 > 0:11:44seems to be actually happening. There has to be an endgame.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49Everybody wants to see that. If we can't see that quickly enough, then
0:11:49 > 0:11:54we do have to have these unique and these individual situations where we
0:11:54 > 0:11:58may need to pull out of certain things sooner.Talking about the
0:11:58 > 0:12:01endgame, that is what the Cabinet will discuss this week, we know
0:12:01 > 0:12:05there will be a debate inside there, and people like Philip Hammond the
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Chancellor will argue that we stay closely aligned to EU rules and
0:12:08 > 0:12:11regulations even after we have finally left, how worried are you
0:12:11 > 0:12:18about those so-called soft Brexiteers prevailing in Cabinet?
0:12:18 > 0:12:25Gosh, do you know... I'm not sure they will prevail. I trust Theresa
0:12:25 > 0:12:29May, I trust David Davies, I trust Amber Rudd. I trust all of the
0:12:29 > 0:12:33people in Cabinet to reach an agreement. And because what they
0:12:33 > 0:12:36will be doing is reaching an agreement in Britain's interest and
0:12:36 > 0:12:41the interest of Parliament, and the interest of Brexit. All of those
0:12:41 > 0:12:44people in Cabinet stood on a manifesto in 2017 to deliver Brexit,
0:12:44 > 0:12:50and they have to do that in a way which the British people, who
0:12:50 > 0:12:52democratically exercised their vote, would like to see. Otherwise they
0:12:52 > 0:12:56will lose the support of the British public.You say you trust the
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Cabinet to deliver Brexit, do you trust all of your Tory MP colleagues
0:12:59 > 0:13:05to do so?Well, I hope so. Can I just say, I know the rebels are
0:13:05 > 0:13:10being lauded as he arose from whence they not, can I tell you who the
0:13:10 > 0:13:18real heroes are in all of this, they are the Conservative MPs, not the
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Labour MPs, but the Conservative MPs who believed in Remain, who
0:13:22 > 0:13:27campaigned for Remain, during the EU referendum, but stood on a manifesto
0:13:27 > 0:13:31to deliver Brexit, and they are the people who are the unsung heroes,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34who are backing the government and backing Theresa May, and doing so
0:13:34 > 0:13:39because they know that is their duty to do so. Some of the rebels could
0:13:39 > 0:13:42perhaps learn a lesson from some of their Remain colleagues, who know
0:13:42 > 0:13:48the right thing to do is to deliver Brexit, because that was voted for a
0:13:48 > 0:13:54democratic mandate.You are being quite Conser Liege reef, --
0:13:54 > 0:13:59consulate tree, but you did at the time tweaked that they should be
0:13:59 > 0:14:01deselected and never allowed to stand as Tory MPs again, have you
0:14:01 > 0:14:07changed your mind about that? Gosh... I don't know if I have
0:14:07 > 0:14:11changed my mind, but what I meant at the time was, most of these rebels
0:14:11 > 0:14:17voted for the private members' Bill to have a referendum. They stood on
0:14:17 > 0:14:22a manifesto in 2015 to deliver that referendum. And then they stood
0:14:22 > 0:14:27again on a manifesto in 2017 to implement Brexit. I think, to go
0:14:27 > 0:14:34back on those promises, that they were elected to honour, it is
0:14:34 > 0:14:38something for their associations to discuss and consider...But... Have
0:14:38 > 0:14:44they gone back on those promises? They would say they still want to
0:14:44 > 0:14:46intimate Brexit, they just want Parliament to have control over that
0:14:46 > 0:14:53rather than the executive.No, I don't believe they do. I believe
0:14:53 > 0:14:57what they have deliberately tried to do right from the moment of the
0:14:57 > 0:15:01referendum result is to frustrate and delay Brexit, and I believe this
0:15:01 > 0:15:06is a very active tactic they are using. No, I do believe they are
0:15:06 > 0:15:12honouring the promise they stood on in the 20 Zinedine manifesto. They
0:15:12 > 0:15:16should put trust in David Davies and the Prime Minister. Rather than make
0:15:16 > 0:15:19life difficult for the Prime Minister when she is leaving to go
0:15:19 > 0:15:23to Brussels for further negotiations, trust the Prime
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Minister and assist the Prime Minister. That is what they have
0:15:26 > 0:15:30been elected to do. There is a Conservative government that has
0:15:30 > 0:15:37been elected on a manifesto to deliver Brexit.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40From the beginning, they have gone out of their way to delay and
0:15:40 > 0:15:45frustrate this, and they need to stop doing it.Anna Soubry, one of
0:15:45 > 0:15:49the rebels, writing in the Mail on Sunday, says that calls for rebels
0:15:49 > 0:15:53to be deselected mean the Tories now have their own blue momentum
0:15:53 > 0:16:03movement.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36I do, I am sure he does.You frequently voted with your
0:16:36 > 0:16:41conscience, you voted against Tory primaries does in the past and
0:16:41 > 0:16:49rebelled against the whip, why is it different?I voted many times
0:16:49 > 0:16:52against the government, I am a self-declared rebel, but I do it at
0:16:52 > 0:16:56a time, you have to choose your rebellions carefully. What I would
0:16:56 > 0:17:00say is different now is that we have a Marxist government knocking on the
0:17:00 > 0:17:04door. We have a full mandate from the British public to deliver
0:17:04 > 0:17:10Brexit, they voted for it in the referendum. These MPs stood on that
0:17:10 > 0:17:13promise in 2017, today is very different. What happened on
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Wednesday night was the rebels put a spring in the step of Labour MPs.
0:17:16 > 0:17:23The party in Jeremy Corbyn's office could be heard in the car park
0:17:23 > 0:17:28outside. It has made life difficult for us to keep that Marxist
0:17:28 > 0:17:31government out of power eventually. They have helped Labour MPs find
0:17:31 > 0:17:37their mojo one is again. We don't want that to happen. We have an
0:17:37 > 0:17:43important situation that has not been seen since wartime. The
0:17:43 > 0:17:47response ability was to support the government.Nadeem, thank you for
0:17:47 > 0:17:49talking to us this morning.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51We can speak now to one of the leading pro-EU
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Conservative MPs, Ken Clarke. He's in Nottingham.
0:17:54 > 0:18:01Thank you for joining us this warning.Glad to be here.I hope you
0:18:01 > 0:18:06could hear Nadine Dorries, she says rebels, you and others, but voted
0:18:06 > 0:18:11against the government on Wednesday, are trying to reverse Brexit.You
0:18:11 > 0:18:14have succeeded in getting into all of this personal stuff, but I do
0:18:14 > 0:18:21think she is aiming it at me. I am a member of the government that led us
0:18:21 > 0:18:25into Europe and the single market, I did not vote in the referendum, and
0:18:25 > 0:18:29my constituents have no doubts about my views. The 20 Zinedine manifesto
0:18:29 > 0:18:33was produced after I had been adopted as a candidate, no one sent
0:18:33 > 0:18:39me a copy, and I haven't ever seen a copy of it. Let's get back to the
0:18:39 > 0:18:44big issues, which are how do we preserve the future prosperity of
0:18:44 > 0:18:47this country? How do we preserve a leading position in world affairs to
0:18:47 > 0:18:54look after our interest? What is the best thing to do for the interests
0:18:54 > 0:18:58of our children and our grandchildren? All of these other
0:18:58 > 0:19:07things, the right-wing newspaper rubbish,, it is trying to get a Tory
0:19:07 > 0:19:10equivalent of momentum.Do you think that the way to preserve the things
0:19:10 > 0:19:14you talk about is to put reverse Brexit?I don't think we can do
0:19:14 > 0:19:23that. I was in the small minority when I voted against in -- invoking
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Article 50. The party is moving towards Brexit, the country will see
0:19:27 > 0:19:40Brexit. Suddenly turning Brexit into a proposal, we have big lorry parks,
0:19:40 > 0:19:45customs officers, so different market regulations, you know,
0:19:45 > 0:19:51different rules about backing cleaner noise, that was not what the
0:19:51 > 0:19:54referendum was about. More importantly, it will do great damage
0:19:54 > 0:19:58to our economy, it could cost thousands of jobs and make the
0:19:58 > 0:20:07country much mess less attractive. We have now got to try to reach an
0:20:07 > 0:20:12agreement that produces a sensible, sensible political and economic
0:20:12 > 0:20:19future for this country in the real world, not in the slightly childish
0:20:19 > 0:20:22world of knock about politics.How confident are you the Cabinet will
0:20:22 > 0:20:27come to that compromise when they start to discuss things this week?
0:20:27 > 0:20:31We keep having public statements, which are rather alarming, but I am
0:20:31 > 0:20:35reasonably confident that they can. What are you alarmed by in the
0:20:35 > 0:20:43public state was?You are trying to get me to go on about Boris, out of
0:20:43 > 0:20:50line with what apply Mr has done. But the Chancellor has a duty to
0:20:50 > 0:20:55actually look after the British economy, to make sure business is
0:20:55 > 0:21:01not deterred from coming to this country, to make sure we keep our
0:21:01 > 0:21:07markets in Europe, and in the rest of the world, as intact as we can. I
0:21:07 > 0:21:13think the Cabinet will rally around that.Theresa May made pretty clear
0:21:13 > 0:21:16in her Florence speech that what we will leave the supermarket, the
0:21:16 > 0:21:29customs unit, and there fetch you ruled out the post Brexit future?
0:21:29 > 0:21:34Lancaster House was the first time anyone had interpreted, anyone in
0:21:34 > 0:21:37authority, had interpreted the referendum result to mean that. It
0:21:37 > 0:21:42does give rise to problems. What they have now got to address is the
0:21:42 > 0:21:46problems that arise. It started with last week, we suddenly faced
0:21:46 > 0:21:51Ireland, which nobody had mentioned, which is an insult to the people of
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Northern Ireland and Republic of Island, really we agreed then, we
0:21:55 > 0:22:00must keep the border open with regulatory convergence on both
0:22:00 > 0:22:03sides. It applies to Dover and Folkestone, and we won't get
0:22:03 > 0:22:11planning permission for the lorry parks we would need if we rush on
0:22:11 > 0:22:15abandoning the single market in March, 2019, we have brought coming.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21Let's not into Gibraltar. It would make the Irish problems looked like
0:22:21 > 0:22:24a picnic. You will have a lot of adage businesses wondering where on
0:22:24 > 0:22:33earth Britain is going unless we now interpret policy of the Florence
0:22:33 > 0:22:36speech and move on from the Florence speech, which was a big move
0:22:36 > 0:22:42forward, move on from the fact that we finally settled these three quite
0:22:42 > 0:22:46simple issues that had to be settled about our withdrawal, which could
0:22:46 > 0:22:53have been months ago had it not been for the troubles.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57We need to get onto a sensible economic future worked out by people
0:22:57 > 0:23:02prepared to read the brief and who know something about trade,
0:23:02 > 0:23:07investment and business in the modern, globalised economy.With the
0:23:07 > 0:23:11vote last week, in which Parliament now gets a meaningful say on the
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Brexit deal, do you interpret that to mean that parliament could send
0:23:15 > 0:23:19the Prime Minister back to Brussels to renegotiate a different deal if
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Parliament doesn't like it, so your views have to be taken into account
0:23:21 > 0:23:28with the final deal?Politics in this country is based on all
0:23:28 > 0:23:31governments having to take the views of Parliament into account. It's
0:23:31 > 0:23:35difficult when Parliament is a small majority where there is confusion,
0:23:35 > 0:23:41because the issue cuts across party lines, that makes it more difficult,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45but it was a mistake to invoke the royal prerogative, a mistake to try
0:23:45 > 0:23:47but it was a mistake to invoke the and avoid Parliament revoked. In the
0:23:47 > 0:23:53end, this is determining our future for the next generation or two on
0:23:53 > 0:23:57difficult issues that Parliament will have to approve before
0:23:57 > 0:24:02government can get a deal. That should strengthen Theresa May and
0:24:02 > 0:24:07David Davis's hands in the negotiations because, just like the
0:24:07 > 0:24:10other 27 negotiators, they will have to say that they can't deliver
0:24:10 > 0:24:15things which they can't get past their own parliament.It's been
0:24:15 > 0:24:18reported this morning that Heidi Allen, a Conservative MP who
0:24:18 > 0:24:21rebelled against the government last week, is facing threats of
0:24:21 > 0:24:28deselection. You are perfectly safe in your constituency, are you? What
0:24:28 > 0:24:33do you think of the other rebels being deselected?I don't think my
0:24:33 > 0:24:36constituents have any doubts about my views, not all of my association
0:24:36 > 0:24:42agree with me, but I have never fallen out with anybody personally
0:24:42 > 0:24:46because of political differences. I think this is all nonsense. It's
0:24:46 > 0:24:49caused by the rubbish that keeps appearing in the right-wing
0:24:49 > 0:24:52newspapers, which have completely lost their heads over the whole
0:24:52 > 0:24:58thing. It is totally absurd to say this is helping Jeremy Corbyn, it is
0:24:58 > 0:25:02weakening Theresa May and all the rest of it. Here we are, three days
0:25:02 > 0:25:07after the vote took place, and Theresa May is no weaker and she was
0:25:07 > 0:25:16after that. Jeremy Corbyn is not marching towards Downing Street.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21What we voted for is a Parliamentary accountability of the government.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26Nothing to do with blocking Brexit, and it is utterly idiotic few of our
0:25:26 > 0:25:31association members in various parts of country start interpreting this
0:25:31 > 0:25:38as the start of some sort of purge of backbench members of conscience.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Eurosceptics have been voting against the government for the last
0:25:41 > 0:25:4430 years, and nobody on my side of the argument has ever gone round
0:25:44 > 0:25:51saying they should be expelled from the party and sent to darkness. It
0:25:51 > 0:25:55is a broad church, it is a free-market party with a strong
0:25:55 > 0:26:00social conscience, and it has been a pro-European party for the first 50
0:26:00 > 0:26:04years of my membership.Thank you for talking to us, and I'll come
0:26:04 > 0:26:09back to the panel. He says the Prime Minister was not weakened by that
0:26:09 > 0:26:11vote, and neither was Jeremy Corbyn emboldened. Is he right?Not quite
0:26:11 > 0:26:19right. What the vote did was point out what we all secretly knew. She
0:26:19 > 0:26:24wasn't further weakened by it, she was weakened by the general election
0:26:24 > 0:26:31result. She was always going to be in this predicament without a
0:26:31 > 0:26:35majority. That vote reminded everybody of how weak she is and
0:26:35 > 0:26:40will continue to be as this entire Parliament passes.The accusation
0:26:40 > 0:26:42from people like Nadine Dorries is that this helps Labour and
0:26:42 > 0:26:49intentionally offers in a Corbyn government is any truth in that?
0:26:49 > 0:26:53There was a perception of truth because of how close he got to
0:26:53 > 0:26:56number ten, which took us by surprise on election night, apart
0:26:56 > 0:26:59from you, who got it right. But equally I think there was a sense
0:26:59 > 0:27:05with Theresa May's own popularity, and recent polling is said that the
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Conservatives are gaining an Jeremy Corbyn, which is perhaps explained
0:27:08 > 0:27:13by the fact that people are unclear, despite numerous explanations by
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Keir Starmer, shadow Brexit Secretary, on the Labour opposition.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20They appear to have backtracked on their manifesto and want close
0:27:20 > 0:27:23alignment, if not remaining in the supermarket and customs union, which
0:27:23 > 0:27:28is anathema to anybody who voted for Brexit an Jeremy Corbyn and Labour,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32and equally I think it's interesting that, once we take ourselves out of
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Westminster bubble, some of the talk on the streets about Theresa May's
0:27:37 > 0:27:41apparent weakness is misplaced. A lots of people think she has shown
0:27:41 > 0:27:45resilience and they appreciate she is in a difficult political mess, in
0:27:45 > 0:27:48terms of her lack of a larger majority and the rest of it, but I
0:27:48 > 0:27:56think she was pity David after coughing gate, and I think that has
0:27:56 > 0:27:59turned into grudging admiration for the fact that she has defied the
0:27:59 > 0:28:02people who said it would be impossible and managed to get to the
0:28:02 > 0:28:07second phase of negotiations.I think what we got with the vote was
0:28:07 > 0:28:11recognition that this is a hung parliament. In a hung Parliament,
0:28:11 > 0:28:17government get defeated. . This is new to us because we had the
0:28:17 > 0:28:25coalition which a majority and the Labour and Thatcher landslide eras,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28but in the 70s, the key moments that Labour government defeated again and
0:28:28 > 0:28:33again, this one will. It's not that she is inherently weak as a
0:28:33 > 0:28:37personality, she is just in a weak position. There was a majority
0:28:37 > 0:28:41forming. It probably could have been bigger. In favour of that amendment
0:28:41 > 0:28:48last week. It will happen again because the House of Commons is in a
0:28:48 > 0:28:54different place on Europe than she is.Briefly.What was fascinating is
0:28:54 > 0:28:59that Nadine Dorries and those of her like said, you weakened her, nobody
0:28:59 > 0:29:06will take seriously in Brussels, but she went and she got love oned. It
0:29:06 > 0:29:12had an inverse effect. -- love oned. Using weakness as a strength.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15And you can find more Brexit analysis and explanation on the BBC
0:29:15 > 0:29:16website, at bbc.co.uk/brexit.
0:29:16 > 0:29:17Let's turn now to Labour.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20As 2017 draws to a close they've got plenty to feel upbeat about,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23although they could have to wait another four and a half years
0:29:23 > 0:29:25for a chance to form a government.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27The party says it's ready, but do the public agree?
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Elizabeth Glinka took the entirely unscientific moodbox
0:29:30 > 0:29:32to the constituency of Warwick and Leamington, a former
0:29:32 > 0:29:36Conservative seat snatched by Labour in June.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40This week, Theresa May faced her first defeat
0:29:40 > 0:29:43in the House of Commons - and, if you speak to Labour
0:29:43 > 0:29:45activists, they will tell you a general election could be just
0:29:45 > 0:29:49around the corner, and they are more than ready to form a government.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52So we've come here to Warwick Castle to ask people,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55is Labour ready or not ready?
0:29:58 > 0:29:59No, definitely not.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00Why not?
0:30:00 > 0:30:02I don't like the Labour leader.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06It's the first time I've been asked about politics here in the castle.
0:30:06 > 0:30:07I think they are ready.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Absolutely not ready.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13They don't seem to have any strong policies and every time you hear
0:30:13 > 0:30:16them arguing against the Government they are just negative.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19There's not a positive, constructive response.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I came from a country which was Communist for a long time.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26It terrifies me when I hear some of their ideas.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Although I don't like the other guys, too.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31LAUGHTER.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Would you say the Labour Party is ready for government?
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Yes.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38I'll take that as a yes.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Sorry, Jeremy.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42I remember British Rail before it was privatised.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46It was dreadful.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48I would say ready.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52I think that the Tory party are totally focused on Brexit.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55They are not looking at any of the other problems,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57the NHS, housing, transport, everything else that's
0:30:57 > 0:30:59going on in the country, and I think the Labour Party
0:30:59 > 0:31:01would look at those other issues.
0:31:01 > 0:31:02Not ready.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03Not ready.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06They're not clear on their policies and a lot of infighting,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08so I just don't think they are ready to be in charge yet.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10Thank you for this.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11That's OK.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14There is never a knight around when you need one.
0:31:15 > 0:31:16I'd go with ready.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19I think, from what we've got at the moment, I think
0:31:19 > 0:31:20give them a chance.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22OK, let's go for it then.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Not ready, maybe because I don't think the Shadow Chancellor
0:31:25 > 0:31:27is at all suitable.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33They can't do any worse than what we've already got
0:31:33 > 0:31:36at the moment, so I think time for a change.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41Would you say the Labour Party is ready or not ready for government?
0:31:44 > 0:31:45Interesting.
0:31:45 > 0:31:46Not ready.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Why is that?
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Not ready, because they are still bickering amongst themselves.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Because I am fed up with the Conservative government.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53I feel we need a change.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56OK, so why did you go for not ready?
0:31:56 > 0:31:58I just don't think they have what it takes just yet.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Well, only eight more sleeps till Christmas,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03and I'm afraid Jeremy Corbyn may not like his present this year.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05The visitors here to Warwick Castle say that Labour is not
0:32:05 > 0:32:08ready for government.
0:32:08 > 0:32:14Right, better get the rest of these presents delivered.
0:32:14 > 0:32:15Elizabeth Glinka with the decidedly unscientific
0:32:15 > 0:32:17moodbox at Warwick Castle.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Well, I'm joined now by the shadow justice
0:32:19 > 0:32:25secretary Richard Burgon, he's in Leeds.
0:32:25 > 0:32:31Good morning.Good morning, Sarah. We were told in the summer that
0:32:31 > 0:32:35Jeremy Corbyn reportedly said he would be Prime Minister by
0:32:35 > 0:32:39Christmas. It doesn't look as though it is likely to happen. Will he be
0:32:39 > 0:32:45in Number Ten by next Christmas, do you think?Who knows, all we can say
0:32:45 > 0:32:48is we will be ready for another general election when it take place
0:32:48 > 0:32:51and we are ready to go the full course is that needs to be the case
0:32:51 > 0:32:56as well.In order to be ready for an election, it will be important to
0:32:56 > 0:33:01have a clear position on Brexit, and in fairness the Labour opposition
0:33:01 > 0:33:05there has been some clarity in the last couple of weeks on bad, and it
0:33:05 > 0:33:11appears the wants to stay much closer to EU rules and regulations
0:33:11 > 0:33:14than the Conservative Party.What Labour wants to do is to reach a
0:33:14 > 0:33:19position where we have a good relationship with the EU has Brexit,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22because Britain is leaving the European Union and Labour accepts
0:33:22 > 0:33:25and respect the outcome of the referendum, and we want a post
0:33:25 > 0:33:31Brexit Britain where the economy and jobs is put first, not fixated on
0:33:31 > 0:33:34structures. That is the end goal we want to reach, will return as they
0:33:34 > 0:33:41good trading relationship with the EU and the rest of the world. --
0:33:41 > 0:33:44where Britain has a good trading relationship. And we want to protect
0:33:44 > 0:33:49environmental rights and workers as well.The Tories would say they are
0:33:49 > 0:33:52interested in those things as well but there has to be a structure
0:33:52 > 0:33:56around this when we have an in-state relationship with the EU. Is it fair
0:33:56 > 0:34:02to say you want a closer relationship than the government is
0:34:02 > 0:34:06arguing for?We have set out the vision of what we want in terms of
0:34:06 > 0:34:10Britain post Brexit. The problem that Theresa May as with negotiating
0:34:10 > 0:34:14is that, at the same time as negotiating with Brussels, she has
0:34:14 > 0:34:20two negotiate with her backbenchers and the extreme caucus in the
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Conservative Party who are ideological fixated on structures
0:34:23 > 0:34:30and the ECJ, and that raised -- that has really weakened her, as we saw
0:34:30 > 0:34:33in Parliament.We will have to have answers on those questions. If you
0:34:33 > 0:34:38say you are ready to form a government within the next year,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40Labour needs clear answers on these questions about whether or not you
0:34:40 > 0:34:46would ever consider a continuing role for the European Court of
0:34:46 > 0:34:51Justice, for instance.We see it as common sense that the ECJ should
0:34:51 > 0:34:59play a role in the transition period...After that?We are open
0:34:59 > 0:35:02minded, because every trade deal these institutions to protect and
0:35:02 > 0:35:06oversee that deal. Seems like common sense.Tom Watson has said that he
0:35:06 > 0:35:10wouldn't rule out a second referendum on Brexit, and Jeremy
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Corbyn a few weeks ago in Lisbon said something similar. Would you be
0:35:13 > 0:35:14in favour of a second
0:35:15 > 0:35:17in favour of a second referendum? Labour isn't calling for a second
0:35:17 > 0:35:20referendum.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24referendum.But Tom Watson said he wouldn't run it out.It could be the
0:35:24 > 0:35:28case that Theresa May caves in and starts
0:35:28 > 0:35:31starts asking for another referendum, I doubt that we are not
0:35:31 > 0:35:34in government I can say clearly we are not
0:35:34 > 0:35:37are not arguing for a second referendum, and I think that was
0:35:37 > 0:35:42made clear on Andrew Marr earlier today by Diane Abbott.Whatever the
0:35:42 > 0:35:45end relationship between the UK and EU, is it important you and to
0:35:45 > 0:35:50Labour that we see lower
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Labour that we see lower levels of immigration from the EU?We want to
0:35:53 > 0:35:57put the economy and jobs first and, if you listen to the public sector
0:35:57 > 0:36:01and the NHS, the care sector, they are clear that the role EU migrants
0:36:01 > 0:36:04have played and are
0:36:04 > 0:36:06have played and are playing is essential to growth, essential to
0:36:06 > 0:36:11the private sector, but also essential to our NHS as well.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14essential to our NHS as well.That sounds like you don't want lower
0:36:14 > 0:36:18levels of immigration after we leave.We want to put jobs and
0:36:18 > 0:36:21economy first, we want fair and reasonably
0:36:21 > 0:36:24reasonably managed migration, but free movement as it is will end when
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Britain leaves the EU and we will need a new arrangement that is fair
0:36:28 > 0:36:30and reasonably managed.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33and reasonably managed. We want to put and the public economy first.
0:36:33 > 0:36:40The Conservatives have a bad track record of
0:36:40 > 0:36:43record of making headline grabbing false promises on immigration but
0:36:43 > 0:36:46never meeting those targets.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48never meeting those targets.You are an enthusiastic supporter of Richard
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Leonard, the new leader of the Scottish Labour Party. You have
0:36:52 > 0:36:55called him an inspiring socialist in the past. Are you hoping the UK
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Labour manifesto will copy some of his rather more radical Labour
0:36:59 > 0:37:05ideas?It is for the Scottish Labour Party to decide Scottish policy.But
0:37:05 > 0:37:11do you want to some of his ideas replicated nationwide?
0:37:11 > 0:37:14replicated nationwide?We agree on most things, and Richard
0:37:14 > 0:37:19most things, and Richard Leonard supported the UK wide manifesto in
0:37:19 > 0:37:212011, he enthusiastically supported the minimum wage rise, taking
0:37:21 > 0:37:25railways back into public ownership.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27railways back into public ownership. What about the idea for a one-off
0:37:27 > 0:37:33wealth tax, 1% of the total wealth of the richest 10% being paid?
0:37:33 > 0:37:35of the richest 10% being paid?That is a matter for the Scottish Labour
0:37:35 > 0:37:43Party.But would you like the same thing adopted nationwide?Our
0:37:43 > 0:37:47manifesto isn't decided by Shadow Cabinet members making
0:37:47 > 0:37:49Cabinet members making declarations on the Sunday Politics.But you are
0:37:49 > 0:37:52allowed a view.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57allowed a view.Our manifesto was reached on a consensus basis, not
0:37:57 > 0:37:59only the Shadow Cabinet and Parliamentary Labour Party but with
0:37:59 > 0:38:03members all over the country. We are now the biggest political party in
0:38:03 > 0:38:07Western Europe. It will be for me to be making policy decisions live on
0:38:07 > 0:38:09air.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12air. We believe in the politics of consensus and collectivism and we
0:38:12 > 0:38:16will be taking that forward with our next manifesto.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20next manifesto.Some viewers may not know that, as well as being a Labour
0:38:20 > 0:38:23MP, you present a heavy metal show on your local radio station, so we
0:38:23 > 0:38:24have a click to listen to.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27The new album of Vallenfyre is called Fear Those Who Fear Him,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30and it's so heavy, it feels painful to listen to, in a good way.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Let's see if you agree.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35This song is by Vallenfyre and it's called An Apathetic Grave.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40METAL GUITAR RIFF.
0:38:40 > 0:38:48MUSIC: An Apathetic Grave by Vallentyre.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Clearly, you are a big heavy metal band. Jeremy Corbyn told the NME you
0:38:52 > 0:38:54listen to everything from
0:38:54 > 0:38:56listen to everything from Mahler to piped music, but he has never
0:38:56 > 0:38:59mentioned heavy metal. Can you introduce him to some of your
0:38:59 > 0:39:03favourite tracks?
0:39:03 > 0:39:06favourite tracks?I could do. Jeremy has been on the front page of
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Kerrang, and what was nice was that he didn't pretend to like heavy
0:39:09 > 0:39:13metal. It's good he set that. Far more refreshing than when David
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Cameron used to pretend to like the Smiths.
0:39:16 > 0:39:17It's coming up to 11:40, you're watching the Sunday Politics.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23And, remember this?
0:39:23 > 0:39:24We have agreed that the government should call a general election.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Good morning and welcome to Sunday Politics Scotland.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Coming up on the programme...
0:39:28 > 0:39:30What's going wrong with Scotland's economy
0:39:30 > 0:39:32and can it be fixed?
0:39:32 > 0:39:34And we'll take a look back on what's been another
0:39:34 > 0:39:39helluva year in Politics.
0:39:39 > 0:39:46Ruth Davidson has predicted we have hit peak and the only way is down.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48This party... Hello!
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Hello and welcome to the programme.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52This week, for the first time since its inception,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54the Scottish Government announced plans to raise taxes.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57It's been decades since any UK administration has
0:39:57 > 0:40:00raised income tax, so this is a big gamble politically.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Then again, there was little choice, as this is the only tax
0:40:03 > 0:40:05raising power Holyrood has.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08But something else happened this week -
0:40:08 > 0:40:13we also learnt the diabolical predictions for economic growth -
0:40:13 > 0:40:150.7% next year, that's half the predictions for the UK
0:40:15 > 0:40:18as a whole, and it doesn't get much better for five years.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20These dreadful figures came from the independent
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Scottish Fiscal Commission, set up by the Scottish government to
0:40:23 > 0:40:25scrutinise their own tax forecasts.
0:40:25 > 0:40:31Here's the Chair, Susan Rice.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Bob, six months on, and only 42 households have moved
0:40:35 > 0:40:37into permanent new homes.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41There are a couple of underlying factors we think are the main forces
0:40:41 > 0:40:47at play. One of them is what's called productivity, so the value of
0:40:47 > 0:40:49what is produced for every hour worked this in simple terms. We've
0:40:49 > 0:40:56had loads relativity in Scotland and low productivity growth in the UK
0:40:56 > 0:41:00and another of other countries for number of years but in Scotland and
0:41:00 > 0:41:06specifically productivity growth has been flat for well over ten years
0:41:06 > 0:41:11and that has a huge impact on the growth of the economy overall. The
0:41:11 > 0:41:15other important factor is the shape of our population. The population
0:41:15 > 0:41:21isn't growing or growing minimally going forward but growth might come
0:41:21 > 0:41:26in age group of 65 and above and we are seeing a shrieking population in
0:41:26 > 0:41:31the 16 to 64-year-old age group. That has a direct impact on what
0:41:31 > 0:41:34happens economically.
0:41:38 > 0:41:44There are a lot of factors which impact on private sector behaviour
0:41:44 > 0:41:48and it isn't the figure so much, it's really what underlies that so
0:41:48 > 0:41:52what underlies that is the number of uncertainties and we have pointed
0:41:52 > 0:42:00out in our report, there are uncertainties around the oil and gas
0:42:00 > 0:42:05sector as it continues to adapt to a lower price for its product and
0:42:05 > 0:42:11various other uncertainties. That's what will impact business and
0:42:11 > 0:42:13behaviours and decisions others make.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21That's a really big question, it's an important question and honestly,
0:42:21 > 0:42:30time will tell. I think that the 1p is a modest increase and the
0:42:30 > 0:42:34judgment we made is that a lot of people will live with that. That
0:42:34 > 0:42:37money should go to supporting services in Scotland. People speak
0:42:37 > 0:42:44often about the standard of living here, how they like living here, so
0:42:44 > 0:42:48it's important that money is funded into services but I think to answer
0:42:48 > 0:42:51your question directly, it's ready hard to say now how this will play
0:42:51 > 0:42:54out. We will be watching.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56That was Susan Rice, chair of the Scottish Fiscal Committee,
0:42:56 > 0:42:58whose report helped shape Derek Mackay's budget.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02Now, a little earlier I spoke to the economist David Bell.
0:43:02 > 0:43:08I'm not sure what word, David Powell, we could use other economic
0:43:08 > 0:43:12forecast that the Scottish Fiscal Commission is making, but pretty
0:43:12 > 0:43:23awful, would that sound about right -- Steven Bell.They are pretty low
0:43:23 > 0:43:25forecasts, which suggest the Scottish economy is not going to
0:43:25 > 0:43:30pick up from the pretty low refectory it's experienced all the
0:43:30 > 0:43:36time since the financial crash. Hush macro low project tree.One
0:43:36 > 0:43:41mitigating factor is part of the problem is the population not
0:43:41 > 0:43:45growing so what that means is the difference between growth in the UK
0:43:45 > 0:43:48and in Scotland is not as dramatic as the difference in growth per
0:43:48 > 0:43:53capita.Yes, that's true. That's certainly true in the great per
0:43:53 > 0:43:59capita but the issue that Susan Rice was talking about in terms of the
0:43:59 > 0:44:02gradual shrinking of the working age population hasn't really kicked in
0:44:02 > 0:44:06yet. It will kick in in quite a big way over the next ten years or so
0:44:06 > 0:44:10and it will be important for the Scottish Government to be looking at
0:44:10 > 0:44:17policies to try to extend people. Working
0:44:17 > 0:44:21Working lives -- people's working lives so that the people who work
0:44:21 > 0:44:24beyond 65 is increased.The most surprisingly I thought in the
0:44:24 > 0:44:27document Susan Rice produced ago with the budget was that Derek
0:44:27 > 0:44:35Mackay made much of the budget being, I'll use his words, "It would
0:44:35 > 0:44:38prioritise economic growth." But halfway through the document she
0:44:38 > 0:44:44concludes that the budget measures, the phrase she uses, will have no
0:44:44 > 0:44:47significant aggregate impact on the Scottish economy. So, prioritising
0:44:47 > 0:44:54economic growth will have no effect whatsoever on economic growth.
0:44:54 > 0:44:59That's a bit of a paradox I think. The short-term levers that
0:44:59 > 0:45:04government has to increase economic growth are limited, so an annual
0:45:04 > 0:45:10object that you don't expect actually to make a huge difference
0:45:10 > 0:45:14to overall economic growth. It's the longer term things that you put in
0:45:14 > 0:45:19place for improved infrastructure, broad brand for example, and
0:45:19 > 0:45:26increasing skills, that are probably the counter policies that are most
0:45:26 > 0:45:31likely to lead, albeit in the long term, the increased economic growth.
0:45:31 > 0:45:36Is there any different approach they could have taken that you think
0:45:36 > 0:45:44might have had a better chance of growing the economy?Well, they are
0:45:44 > 0:45:46putting their foot in the water as far as changing the structure of
0:45:46 > 0:45:52income tax is concerned, so they have made income tax in Scotland
0:45:52 > 0:45:58slightly more progressive than that in the UK as a whole but not much
0:45:58 > 0:46:03and not by all that much. They have announced a number of measures,
0:46:03 > 0:46:09which are more on the back burner around improving broadband and there
0:46:09 > 0:46:14is a big capital programme but the results for these kind of
0:46:14 > 0:46:22investments went the scene probably within this Parliament.Very
0:46:22 > 0:46:28briefly, David, one of the bigger ticket issues that Susan Rice argues
0:46:28 > 0:46:31is that she argues partly that for various reasons economic growth has
0:46:31 > 0:46:36been lower over the last few years in Scotland than it appeared to be
0:46:36 > 0:46:39but that for partly the same reasons, the implication seems to be
0:46:39 > 0:46:44that even if things got back to normal, in inverted commas, normal
0:46:44 > 0:46:49growth in the Scottish economy will now be about half what it was for
0:46:49 > 0:46:52the half-century before the financial crash.I think that's
0:46:52 > 0:46:58true. I mean, if you compare the decade before 2008 and the decade
0:46:58 > 0:47:06since, the comparison in terms of economic performance is stark and
0:47:06 > 0:47:09Susan Rice mentioned that many countries have been affected in the
0:47:09 > 0:47:14same way but it seems that Scotland has been particularly affected and
0:47:14 > 0:47:17really we need to find out why that's the case, why its economic
0:47:17 > 0:47:23growth has been at the bottom end of the set of countries who have been
0:47:23 > 0:47:29exposed to globalisation, to huge changes in technology and so on over
0:47:29 > 0:47:35the last decade, why has Scotland, why is at the bottom end of economic
0:47:35 > 0:47:41performance among small developed countries?Steven Bell, thanks very
0:47:41 > 0:47:43much.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46I'm joined now by the SNP's Ivan McKee a member of the Scottish
0:47:46 > 0:47:49Parliament's Finance Committee, and in Edinburgh is the Conservative
0:47:49 > 0:47:52Dean Lockhart who is a member of the Economy Committee.
0:47:52 > 0:48:00Well, Ivan McKee, this thing about economic growth, Derek Mackay said
0:48:00 > 0:48:04he would prioritise economic growth in his budget and the conclusion of
0:48:04 > 0:48:09the Scottish Fiscal Commission is not just that the budget will have
0:48:09 > 0:48:13no affect on economic growth at all this year but it will have no effect
0:48:13 > 0:48:19over the five years that they are forecasting.You also heard David
0:48:19 > 0:48:24talk about the fact these things take time and it's a longer time to
0:48:24 > 0:48:30look at.I get the point it's not an immediate effect, let me read if to
0:48:30 > 0:48:35you, she said the policies announced in the draft budget are not expected
0:48:35 > 0:48:38to have a significant impact on the economy over the five-year forecast
0:48:38 > 0:48:41period. I take your point about some of these things are long-term
0:48:41 > 0:48:46outcome that you know, for a budget that was prioritising growth to
0:48:46 > 0:48:49produce no growth seems a contradiction.The biggest issues
0:48:49 > 0:48:56you identify if -- the biggest issue she identifies is Scotland's
0:48:56 > 0:49:00population change and The Big Issue driving that is Brexit and if you
0:49:00 > 0:49:06look at the numbers, they have used an aggressive assumption on
0:49:06 > 0:49:09population growth, which is more constrained than that used than they
0:49:09 > 0:49:16are down south so they are talking about Scotland being impacted more
0:49:16 > 0:49:20by the population issue caused by Brexit in the rest of the UK and
0:49:20 > 0:49:25that's an issue causing the problems of growth.But Derek Mackay knew
0:49:25 > 0:49:28that before he published his budget so why did he then say he would
0:49:28 > 0:49:30prioritise economic growth when he must've known for the reasons you
0:49:30 > 0:49:34have given us, actually has budget wouldn't have any effect.That's not
0:49:34 > 0:49:39true because unfortunately we don't have any control over Brexit, it was
0:49:39 > 0:49:43up to us we would be in the single market and driving population growth
0:49:43 > 0:49:46through that mechanism but that's not open to us. If you look at the
0:49:46 > 0:49:52quotes from business leaders and the CBI, they are welcoming what been
0:49:52 > 0:50:00done and the steps being taken to simulate growth...But it won't have
0:50:00 > 0:50:10any effect on growth stock yellow -- when you say look in the round...?
0:50:10 > 0:50:13The situation would be worse if we hadn't done this and that's what
0:50:13 > 0:50:19you're hearing.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Is your argument there may be no economic growth because of the
0:50:22 > 0:50:28budget?What that report talks about, it talks about the gross you
0:50:28 > 0:50:33have spoken about in that statement and the impact of population.
0:50:33 > 0:50:39Population growth or the constraint on it in Scotland is a huge factor.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44My point is Derek Mackay knew that. Unfortunately we cannot bend Brexit
0:50:44 > 0:50:51otherwise we would.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54otherwise we would. Broadband, David Bell highlighted and the huge
0:50:54 > 0:50:58investment by the Scottish Government.What do you make of the
0:50:58 > 0:51:04idea that a budget of growth is no growth?These things take time, the
0:51:04 > 0:51:11SNP have had ten years to grow the Scottish economy, over that time the
0:51:11 > 0:51:16Scottish economy has underperformed. On the budget, what Susan Rae said,
0:51:16 > 0:51:24low productivity was one of the key factors. You increase skills and the
0:51:24 > 0:51:28economy. This budget has made Scotland the highest tax part of
0:51:28 > 0:51:34Scotland for a skilled workers. Every leading business organisation
0:51:34 > 0:51:40has advised against it. We will see the skills gap widening and that
0:51:40 > 0:51:46will have a cumulative effect on productivity.If Ivan McKee is
0:51:46 > 0:51:50contradicting what Susan Rice said, then you are. The fiscal commission
0:51:50 > 0:51:54came to the conclusion that the relatively small increases in tax
0:51:54 > 0:51:59would not have the deterrent effect that you have described.That
0:51:59 > 0:52:04remains to be seen. It is relatively small when you look at it on an
0:52:04 > 0:52:10individual basis. Leading organisations have said that
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Scotland is lower than the rest of the UK. Higher tax means less money
0:52:13 > 0:52:19to spend in the economy and that will have a negative impact on the
0:52:19 > 0:52:22economy. This will result on business costs in Scotland being
0:52:22 > 0:52:29higher than elsewhere in the UK.All right. The other thing a lot of
0:52:29 > 0:52:33people, a lot of people will have to pay this tax will make them think
0:52:33 > 0:52:39twice that, that in her document, Susan Rice forecast that tax
0:52:39 > 0:52:46revenues in the 18-19 year, they will be lower than those forecast by
0:52:46 > 0:52:54the old BR before taxes went up. Which produced less revenues, or
0:52:54 > 0:52:57maybe they would have been higher if you had not put the taxes up.They
0:52:57 > 0:53:04will be a forecast on UK level. But they also did one for Scotland. But
0:53:04 > 0:53:13they also did... Taxes will be up by 500 million next year, income tax. I
0:53:13 > 0:53:19come back to the point, it is ridiculous to suggest that for the
0:53:19 > 0:53:25sake of £2 a week someone will not move to Scotland where they get free
0:53:25 > 0:53:28tuition fees for university education, free prescriptions.
0:53:28 > 0:53:36Looking at skills, we are investing 9% in real terms for further
0:53:36 > 0:53:41education colleges in Scotland and a huge investment in two steps to work
0:53:41 > 0:53:45on employability schemes to get people back into work. The
0:53:45 > 0:53:48investment in skills and training from the Scottish Government is a
0:53:48 > 0:53:52significant part to see what we have done to boost economic growth in
0:53:52 > 0:54:00this budget.Is it? The SNP are long and policy, in terms of the economy
0:54:00 > 0:54:02and policy, in terms of the economy -- effects on the economy, the
0:54:02 > 0:54:08figures speak for themselves.To be clear, I think the point the SSC is
0:54:08 > 0:54:19making that tax revenues will be lower than very expected by the OBR
0:54:19 > 0:54:23a month ago, not because the Scottish Government have put up
0:54:23 > 0:54:26taxes, but lower than expected economic growth. That has more
0:54:26 > 0:54:33effect than what you do with the tax rate.I agree. If over the next five
0:54:33 > 0:54:37years, growth in Scotland could match the UK, then public spending
0:54:37 > 0:54:42in Scotland would have an extra £2 billion. This increased by the SNP
0:54:42 > 0:54:48has increased 116 million pounds for the budget. But if you had a
0:54:48 > 0:54:53commitment to economic growth, you are looking at an extra £2 billion
0:54:53 > 0:54:57for a Scottish public services in the next five years.That is our
0:54:57 > 0:55:00absolute priority. Give me a idea of what they should have done which
0:55:00 > 0:55:05would make the economy grow faster and bring in more tax revenue?We
0:55:05 > 0:55:09would like to see the Scottish Government work closely with the UK
0:55:09 > 0:55:16Government on their economic strategy.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19strategy. If the Scottish Government could really get Scotland to the
0:55:19 > 0:55:24front and central of the UK industrial strategy, we would see a
0:55:24 > 0:55:29good improvement in the economy.You are defending the SNP. You are a
0:55:29 > 0:55:33former business person. If they had called you and said, one thing we
0:55:33 > 0:55:38could do that we have not thought of, what would it be?For business
0:55:38 > 0:55:45issues, it would be skills. We have talking about investment in
0:55:45 > 0:55:49broadband and transport. The other focus is the Manufacturing Institute
0:55:49 > 0:55:57which will give a boost to hide -- manufacturing. That is what is
0:55:57 > 0:56:02important. The tax situation, a lot of that is due to what we have had
0:56:02 > 0:56:09to...Even though the have said it will have nothing to do for economic
0:56:09 > 0:56:21growth. -- SFC.That is not what Derek Mackay said.That is what he
0:56:21 > 0:56:26has done.Even though there is no growth? Within the constraints of
0:56:26 > 0:56:32Westminster, and Brexit fishing the population in the right direction.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36Given the limited hand he has got to play with, I think he has done the
0:56:36 > 0:56:41best they can.We will have to leave it there. Thank you both very much.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44In recent times that old adage, "A week is a long time
0:56:44 > 0:56:45in politics" has become somewhat obsolete -
0:56:45 > 0:56:47it's more like a day now.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49Nevertheless, given it's close to the end of the year,
0:56:49 > 0:56:54we've put together a taster of what's happened so far.
0:56:54 > 0:57:00Tonight, reporting Scotland live from Edinburgh. It is game on, the
0:57:00 > 0:57:04First Minister announces plans for a second independence referendum.Our
0:57:04 > 0:57:09efforts of compromise have been met with a brick wall of intransigence.
0:57:09 > 0:57:18The First Minister signs a letter to...There were no abstentions, the
0:57:18 > 0:57:24motion as amended is therefore agreed.Applause, cheers but a
0:57:24 > 0:57:28solemn looking First Minister, perhaps pondering the challenges
0:57:28 > 0:57:35ahead.No is not the time. Now is not the time.No is not the time.
0:57:35 > 0:57:41When is the right time? No is not the time. I have just chaired a
0:57:41 > 0:57:45meeting of the cabinet where we agreed that the government should
0:57:45 > 0:57:50call a general election to be held on the 8th of June.General
0:57:50 > 0:57:57election. You are joking? Not another one?I love elections. I do
0:57:57 > 0:58:02not know if you could tell from the last election, I love myself. I love
0:58:02 > 0:58:08the campaign we were running.That was a Freudian slip. It is good to
0:58:08 > 0:58:13have a boost on the campaign trail with you. How are you getting on so
0:58:13 > 0:58:17far?Thank you for everything you have done for Scottish
0:58:17 > 0:58:20Conservatives.It will be a huge challenge for Nicola Sturgeon's
0:58:20 > 0:58:31party. The only way is down. This party... Hello!
0:58:31 > 0:58:36party... Hello!It is exactly ten o'clock. The exit poll for BBC, ITV
0:58:36 > 0:58:41and sky suggest the Conservatives will be the largest party after the
0:58:41 > 0:58:462017 general election. But if it is correct, Theresa May will be short
0:58:46 > 0:58:49of an overall majority and that is not the result she hoped for when
0:58:49 > 0:58:58she called the snap election.I hereby declare that Theresa May has
0:58:58 > 0:59:06been duly elected.My pictures simple, I am Theresa May and I think
0:59:06 > 0:59:12I am the best person to lead my constituency. It is a choice between
0:59:12 > 0:59:17strong and stable leadership under the Conservatives. We delivered that
0:59:17 > 0:59:21strong and stable leadership. We delivered the certainty that strong
0:59:21 > 0:59:25and stable leadership can give. It is about strong and stable
0:59:25 > 0:59:31leadership in the national interest. It is just people can listen to this
0:59:31 > 0:59:39that kind of thing and think it is robotic.It is... Nothing has
0:59:39 > 0:59:45changed. Nothing has changed. When future generations look back at this
0:59:45 > 0:59:50time, they will judge us not only by the decisions that may make, but by
0:59:50 > 0:59:58what we made that decision.Tonight on reporting Scotland from
0:59:58 > 1:00:02Westminster, the SNP are under pressure to rule out a second
1:00:02 > 1:00:05independence referendum after losing more than a third of their seats.
1:00:05 > 1:00:09They remain Scotland's biggest party, but some of the biggest names
1:00:09 > 1:00:19have gone.You have not seen the last of my bonnets and me.We will
1:00:19 > 1:00:24reflect on these results. We will listen to voters and we will
1:00:24 > 1:00:30consider very carefully the best way forward for Scotland.She ran on the
1:00:30 > 1:00:34second referendum and that was a gift to the Tory party and the
1:00:34 > 1:00:41Labour Party.Indyref 2 is dead. We will not seek to introduce the
1:00:41 > 1:00:44legislation foreign independence referendum immediately. Instead we
1:00:44 > 1:00:49will, in good faith, redouble our efforts on Twitter shoulder to the
1:00:49 > 1:00:56wheel in effort to influence the Brexit talks for Scotland's
1:00:56 > 1:01:06interest.Boris, job done there. Give her the P 45. Labour will
1:01:06 > 1:01:20deliver I've written for the many, not the few. -- the Britain.News is
1:01:20 > 1:01:25coming in that Kezia Dugdale has resigned as leader of the Scottish
1:01:25 > 1:01:29Labour Party with immediate effect. I did not know Kezia Dugdale was
1:01:29 > 1:01:32going to resign until about ten or 15 minutes before she announced
1:01:32 > 1:01:39that.Was there a plot against you? I do not know. There was a
1:01:39 > 1:01:43conversation suggesting there was a plot. I am not interested in that. I
1:01:43 > 1:01:52will do what I was elected to do. Crickets and cockroaches. Beautiful.
1:01:52 > 1:01:58No!
1:01:58 > 1:02:02No!Don't you think you will be remembered for your time in the
1:02:02 > 1:02:08jungle for drinking a milkshake of ostrich and pig heinous is and
1:02:08 > 1:02:14calling -- crawling through fish guts?You might not like that very
1:02:14 > 1:02:27much, it is considered light entertainment.
1:02:28 > 1:02:33# FRom Russia with love.
1:02:33 > 1:02:38Hello and welcome to the very first episode of the Alex Salmond show.
1:02:42 > 1:02:44That look back was put together by Graham Stewart.
1:02:44 > 1:02:47Well, after such a jam-packed year, I've got three people
1:02:47 > 1:02:50here with me to discuss it - the editor of
1:02:50 > 1:02:51The Big Issue, Paul McNamee,
1:02:51 > 1:02:58and the journalists Pennie Taylor and Jenni Davidson.
1:02:58 > 1:03:04First let's just talk about the budget, Penny. What did you make of
1:03:04 > 1:03:09all the changes to tax?I think what's really struck me most is how
1:03:09 > 1:03:15many people in Scotland I am encountering have welcomed the rise
1:03:15 > 1:03:19on the basis that it goes on to improving public services. However,
1:03:19 > 1:03:25they will want to see results from that. With 3.5 years left until the
1:03:25 > 1:03:30next Scottish election, it is a tight timescale.Yes.It does break
1:03:30 > 1:03:36the mould a little bit?Yes. It does. There has been a taboo and
1:03:36 > 1:03:40written about raising income tax and that has been broken?People in
1:03:40 > 1:03:45Scotland, in many areas of Scotland and many people, have been saying we
1:03:45 > 1:03:50need to raise taxes to pay for our public services.They don't
1:03:50 > 1:03:56necessarily vote for it.As the SNP discovered. Time will tell. It has
1:03:56 > 1:04:01been described as a tentative tax rise. Is it a tool in the water for
1:04:01 > 1:04:06more to come?What did you of it, Jenny?It was an astute move. We
1:04:06 > 1:04:11knew taxes would have to rise. There is a hole in the revenue budget in
1:04:11 > 1:04:14terms of the block grant the Scottish Government gets from the UK
1:04:14 > 1:04:21Government. They are down 219 million. They will want to make a
1:04:21 > 1:04:25lot of cuts which would be unpopular. They will have to go down
1:04:25 > 1:04:29the unpopular rid of raising tax. They will have a similar hall next
1:04:29 > 1:04:35year. Does this go on indefinitely? year. Does this go on indefinitely?
1:04:35 > 1:04:44-- Semler hole.Indeed. Yeah. I am not sure. We will have to see some
1:04:44 > 1:04:49of this growth, but in terms of dealing with that in the short-term,
1:04:49 > 1:04:52it was quite clear they had to be something done that they were making
1:04:52 > 1:04:59noises towards a tax increase. This has been very, very clever in terms
1:04:59 > 1:05:03of managing to increase taxes but also be seen to try and the crease
1:05:03 > 1:05:12taxes at the same time, 55% of tax is being paid by Scots, but equally
1:05:12 > 1:05:18those who are paying more, for many people it is a little bit more,
1:05:18 > 1:05:22maybe tens of pounds a month. So getting the balance of being able to
1:05:22 > 1:05:27make a change to tax that is broadly welcome, that has avoided the scare
1:05:27 > 1:05:37stories that were being raised and being put up, from 45p to 55p in the
1:05:37 > 1:05:40pound. People leaving Scotland, mass economic exodus.
1:05:44 > 1:05:48What needs to be worried about in the future, you are right, the
1:05:48 > 1:05:53fiscal commission has concluded that the small taxes being raised when
1:05:53 > 1:05:57have that effect but the more you put them up, unless they are put up
1:05:57 > 1:06:03in the rest of the UK, the more that effect kicks in.And they aren't big
1:06:03 > 1:06:06enough to address the shortfall. I was surprised in the budget there
1:06:06 > 1:06:10was no specific reference to social care in Scotland. Yes, there was
1:06:10 > 1:06:13talk about more money for the NHS but the area that is under severe
1:06:13 > 1:06:16pressure here that really matters to people and their families is social
1:06:16 > 1:06:24care.Paul, what did you make of the budget?I thought it was very
1:06:24 > 1:06:31nuanced, it was canny in that it played to the idea that the caring
1:06:31 > 1:06:38Scott once to show that they can help
1:06:38 > 1:06:41help those who need help without clobbering them for a lot of extra
1:06:41 > 1:06:44money. I think next if people want results. They want to see where that
1:06:44 > 1:06:48money is going and I also feel that when it comes to the vote for the
1:06:48 > 1:06:52members of the coalition when they need to put this through Parliament
1:06:52 > 1:06:55will say hold on, we want to see some of it going on particular
1:06:55 > 1:07:02areas.The Greens have said they want £100 million the council.£14
1:07:02 > 1:07:06million excess, which in governmental terms is nothing, so
1:07:06 > 1:07:15then you begin to say...If these commission figures are accurate,
1:07:15 > 1:07:18they are forecasting slightly lower tax ironing because he would
1:07:18 > 1:07:25hundreds 60 boys extra money raised by the tax increases but -- they are
1:07:25 > 1:07:32forecasting slightly lower tax because the 164 is extra money
1:07:32 > 1:07:37raised by the tax increases.When the rises start coming through, that
1:07:37 > 1:07:46will hurt people, so there will be demands on the key thing --
1:07:46 > 1:07:52degreasing incomes so a small tax rise might not be enough.We should
1:07:52 > 1:07:58make the point, average incomes will not start to rise until sometime in
1:07:58 > 1:08:06the 2020 ball.Not just in Scotland, they are stagnating across Britain.
1:08:06 > 1:08:11And indeed beyond. Brexit, Theresa May, she's done a bit better over
1:08:11 > 1:08:16the last few weeks.G seems to have done but I don't know that I am
1:08:16 > 1:08:20alone in thinking this is as clear as mud. Where does it go from here?
1:08:20 > 1:08:24We hear the tricky stuff starts now. It sounded like the past year or so
1:08:24 > 1:08:29was pretty tricky. I think there's a lot of us sitting here with
1:08:29 > 1:08:37everything crossed, wanting to trust that this process will bring us out
1:08:37 > 1:08:43the other end less badly beaten perhaps than we might be when we
1:08:43 > 1:08:47look at the fiscal report and it is talking about a people of working
1:08:47 > 1:08:51age, vast increasing numbers of people older than working age. We
1:08:51 > 1:08:57have got serious issues I find scary.In defence of this perceived
1:08:57 > 1:09:05chaos, it's a negotiation. There will always be grandstanding,
1:09:05 > 1:09:08crises, last-minute meetings but I suppose Theresa May can say here we
1:09:08 > 1:09:16are, exactly where I wanted to be by now, which is that we have maybe not
1:09:16 > 1:09:19in agreement on a transition period but we have got the first stage
1:09:19 > 1:09:24over.Surprisingly enough, they have actually made progress because it
1:09:24 > 1:09:31seemed for a while nothing would happen and it was a wall or two
1:09:31 > 1:09:37conflicting points that just couldn't actually be resolved and we
1:09:37 > 1:09:40just hit something that couldn't go any further over Ireland in
1:09:40 > 1:09:45particular. Then surprisingly enough, as Penny says, it's
1:09:45 > 1:09:50completely unclear what they've actually decided and talking about
1:09:50 > 1:09:56alignment and in what way alignment is different from being...It's too
1:09:56 > 1:10:00near Christmas, let's not get into that!Theresa May got a standing
1:10:00 > 1:10:03ovation from European leaders. They have moved on to talking about
1:10:03 > 1:10:07things like trade and security and future relationships so its progress
1:10:07 > 1:10:12and I never expected to see this side.Some of the things the fiscal
1:10:12 > 1:10:22commission says, as Ivan Mackay was pointing out, arguably it goes to
1:10:22 > 1:10:26the need to go to differential immigration policy across the UK and
1:10:26 > 1:10:29for the Scottish Government to have powers of its own in that regard. Do
1:10:29 > 1:10:35you think that will come a big issue in the next few is?I do. You saw
1:10:35 > 1:10:38both poles of in your earlier interview, the Conservatives are
1:10:38 > 1:10:43looking for growth in productivity through retraining and making the
1:10:43 > 1:10:47workforce more productive and SMP are saying we need more people
1:10:47 > 1:10:51invited in in order to increase the volume of people who can do the jobs
1:10:51 > 1:10:55and that, when it gets down to it, that will become the core of Brexit
1:10:55 > 1:11:01because in the Brexit supporting areas, people coming in and taking
1:11:01 > 1:11:05jobs, that comes back time and time again for the reason they voted for
1:11:05 > 1:11:09Brexit and if it starts to look as though that is one of the problems
1:11:09 > 1:11:14with our economy because we can't get them in, you can't say... If you
1:11:14 > 1:11:16looked difficult to resolve things up until now, that really just
1:11:16 > 1:11:24begins to look insoluble.Sexual harassment was a big issue later on
1:11:24 > 1:11:29in the year in both Westminster and Holyrood. I was struck today that
1:11:29 > 1:11:33there is a piece by Jess Phillips, Labour MP in the Observer where she
1:11:33 > 1:11:39says look, I go round in Westminster everyday brushing against coming up
1:11:39 > 1:11:43against men whom I'm sure have been accused of serious sexual
1:11:43 > 1:11:48harassment. Sometimes I find women MPs crying on the phone telling me
1:11:48 > 1:11:51about what has happened and nothing is happening, unlike Hollywood,
1:11:51 > 1:11:56unlike some of the corporations where this has become an issue and
1:11:56 > 1:12:01some of the TV shows, particularly in America. She says nothing has
1:12:01 > 1:12:04been done.It has got to start happening. These stories are not
1:12:04 > 1:12:11going to go away. I think all of us know if people perhaps deserved to
1:12:11 > 1:12:14have thing is pointed at them that haven't yet been pointed. We will
1:12:14 > 1:12:20wait and see how you and holds -- unfolds but it has be taken, it
1:12:20 > 1:12:23cannot go back to business as usual and things to revert as they have
1:12:23 > 1:12:28been because it is absolutely not acceptable and in this year has
1:12:28 > 1:12:33taught us anything, surely it is that.You cover Holyrood a lot, is
1:12:33 > 1:12:37your impression that the problem is perhaps less acute than is in
1:12:37 > 1:12:43Westminster or are they doing more or less in Holyrood to combat it?In
1:12:43 > 1:12:47Holyrood it is less acute, that's not to say it's not there, it's in
1:12:47 > 1:12:51all workplaces I think everywhere but generally it's not part of the
1:12:51 > 1:12:55culture in the way it seems to be at Westminster where it's really
1:12:55 > 1:13:00endemic, accepted, considered the norm, in fact, from what we can
1:13:00 > 1:13:04understand where is in Holyrood, they are actually also making very
1:13:04 > 1:13:08definite attempts to make change. Can you do it into a crew of three
1:13:08 > 1:13:15words, what would you like to see next year?Social care, attention on
1:13:15 > 1:13:20that and something done about the plight of people in Scotland and not
1:13:20 > 1:13:24to ignore social care.More on poverty, Universal Credit, lifting
1:13:24 > 1:13:30people away from food banks.Do you mean an increase in Universal Credit
1:13:30 > 1:13:38or get rid of it?Just sort out the issues and delays.Happy Brexit.
1:13:38 > 1:13:42Right, that sounds like an easy one to achieve!
1:13:42 > 1:13:43That's it.
1:13:43 > 1:13:45I'll be back with Politics Scotland on Wednesday afternoon.
1:13:45 > 1:13:47The Sunday Politics will be back in January -
1:13:47 > 1:13:50until then, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
1:13:50 > 1:13:54Goodbye.