Browse content similar to 29/09/2013. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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BBC 1 888 | :00:20. | :00:41. | |
With me are a trio of top political commentators. All three will be | :00:41. | :01:45. | |
tweeting their thoughts, or in some cases just their thought through the | :01:45. | :01:48. | |
show, using the hashtag #bbcsp. cases just their thought through the | :01:48. | :01:55. | |
Conservative Party conference gets afternoon. We have already been | :01:55. | :02:01. | |
bombarded with a series of policy announcements, a tax break for | :02:01. | :02:06. | |
married couples of up to £200 per year, more money on life extending | :02:06. | :02:09. | |
cancer treatments and, last night, the news that the second stage of | :02:09. | :02:13. | |
the Chancellor's Help To Buy scheme brought forward from the start of | :02:13. | :02:18. | |
next year. David Cameron says it is all about helping hard-working | :02:18. | :02:24. | |
people. Right now, you can't get, 95% mortgage. That means a typical | :02:24. | :02:32. | |
family with two people earning 20,000, 25,000, they are being | :02:32. | :02:34. | |
asked, to buy an average house, 20,000, 25,000, they are being | :02:34. | :02:43. | |
mortgage payment, but they can't get the mortgage. They can't buy their | :02:43. | :02:46. | |
flat or house. As Prime Minister, I'm not going to stand back while | :02:46. | :02:50. | |
people's aspirations to get on the housing ladder, to own their own | :02:50. | :02:51. | |
flat or home, is being trashed. housing ladder, to own their own | :02:51. | :02:57. | |
is why we need to act. A predictable attempt by party leadership to | :02:57. | :03:02. | |
kick-start the conference with eye-catching policies. The polls | :03:02. | :03:05. | |
show a big bounce for Ed Miliband and the Labour Party, with decent | :03:05. | :03:10. | |
numbers for UKIP. What do party councillors as they travel to their | :03:10. | :03:26. | |
For the Conservatives this weekend, conference, and as a scene setter we | :03:26. | :03:36. | |
asked ComRes to survey councillors are Finland and Wales. Councillors | :03:36. | :03:42. | |
asked ComRes to survey councillors like Tom, packing for conference at | :03:42. | :03:45. | |
home in Wellingborough. Immigration is an issue for him. He thinks there | :03:45. | :03:48. | |
are pros and cons. But we found is an issue for him. He thinks there | :03:48. | :03:55. | |
immigration has had a negative reflects into this wider issue of | :03:55. | :04:02. | |
our relationship with Europe. People possible influx of ovarian and | :04:02. | :04:08. | |
Romania emigrants. Obviously the issue of Europe is very big. -- | :04:08. | :04:18. | |
Ukrainian. His colleagues in Corby are worried about the rise of the UK | :04:18. | :04:23. | |
Independence Party. In our survey, nearly a quarter of Conservative | :04:23. | :04:26. | |
councillors thought that their party should make a pact with UKIP. The | :04:26. | :04:31. | |
concern is, yes, will they take If that happens, maybe we don't | :04:31. | :04:40. | |
concern is, yes, will they take back in. Maybe a partnership is | :04:40. | :04:43. | |
concern is, yes, will they take way to go. It depends what they | :04:43. | :04:50. | |
concern is, yes, will they take talking about them. A pact? Depends | :04:50. | :04:50. | |
what they say, anything is possible. What would you like to see? Ideally, | :04:50. | :05:06. | |
from my point of view, a national pact. David Cameron arrived in | :05:06. | :05:11. | |
Manchester last night. Around the same time as these activists from | :05:11. | :05:14. | |
London. I broke the news to them that in our survey just 26% of Tory | :05:14. | :05:23. | |
councillors think that the prime ministers in touch with the lives of | :05:23. | :05:28. | |
ordinary people. The same at all Conservatives, you don't judge | :05:28. | :05:32. | |
people by their background. It's not where they come from, it is where | :05:32. | :05:34. | |
they are going to. It is not a where they come from, it is where | :05:34. | :05:38. | |
problem that he is a bit on the where they come from, it is where | :05:38. | :05:40. | |
side? Cull you might describe him like that, I would not use those | :05:40. | :05:42. | |
words. Explain your T-shirt, it like that, I would not use those | :05:42. | :05:49. | |
phrase that a senior Cameron person is alleged to have used about you? | :05:49. | :05:54. | |
It is a humorous way of letting is alleged to have used about you? | :05:54. | :05:57. | |
party now that we are here to say important. We are not going away any | :05:57. | :06:00. | |
time soon. A sentiment you will important. We are not going away any | :06:01. | :06:06. | |
a lot at this conference, because just 22% of councillors in our | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
survey said that David Cameron was any good at listening to the people | :06:09. | :06:16. | |
that work hard for his party. That was Adam. Joining me now from the | :06:16. | :06:20. | |
Conservative Party conference in William Hague. Welcome to the Sunday | :06:21. | :06:26. | |
Politics. Good morning. Over one in five Tory councillors in our survey | :06:26. | :06:33. | |
support a pact with UKIP at the five Tory councillors in our survey | :06:33. | :06:36. | |
election. Why do you think that five Tory councillors in our survey | :06:36. | :06:39. | |
If it is one in five, it means a large majority did not want a pact | :06:39. | :06:41. | |
with UKIP at the next election. large majority did not want a pact | :06:41. | :06:46. | |
have noticed that UKIP, in local elections, has been receiving votes, | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
some of which would otherwise have been for the Conservatives. I think | :06:49. | :06:52. | |
we have to make sure that people election they are choosing between a | :06:52. | :06:58. | |
Conservative and Labour Government, as David Cameron as Prime Minister | :06:58. | :07:01. | |
or Ed Miliband. If people want to get a referendum on Europe, the | :07:01. | :07:07. | |
or Ed Miliband. If people want to way to do that is to have David | :07:07. | :07:07. | |
Cameron as Prime Minister. I think a Cameron as Prime Minister. I think a | :07:07. | :07:12. | |
general election is different from the local government perspective. It | :07:12. | :07:15. | |
is pretty unusual, some might say unprecedented, for a large chunk of | :07:15. | :07:19. | |
one of the big parties in this country to want to go into coalition | :07:19. | :07:23. | |
one of the big parties in this with a smaller party before an | :07:23. | :07:30. | |
happened? Looking at your survey, three times as many didn't want | :07:30. | :07:36. | |
happened? Looking at your survey, with statistics, you can highlight | :07:36. | :07:38. | |
it whichever way around you want to. The point is, we are not having | :07:38. | :07:42. | |
pacts with other parties, electoral pacts with other parties. You rule | :07:42. | :07:48. | |
it out? That is not going to happen. What we do want is to have a pact | :07:48. | :07:52. | |
it out? That is not going to happen. with the voters, if you like, as we | :07:52. | :07:55. | |
have often done in the Conservative Party. We have won over the voters | :07:55. | :07:59. | |
of other parties to support our policies and Prime Minister. That is | :08:00. | :08:02. | |
important with those people that say important with those people that say | :08:02. | :08:05. | |
they want to vote for UKIP. By default, they would produce a Labour | :08:05. | :08:08. | |
government in the exact opposite of many of the things they intend, | :08:08. | :08:13. | |
government in the exact opposite of Conservative and decide to vote | :08:13. | :08:15. | |
government in the exact opposite of UKIP instead in a general election. | :08:15. | :08:18. | |
That could help to produce a Labour government. The chairman of the | :08:18. | :08:24. | |
That could help to produce a Labour committee, the elected voice of | :08:24. | :08:29. | |
Conservative backbenchers, he says your party should spell out what had | :08:29. | :08:32. | |
once back from the European Union before next year's European actions. | :08:32. | :08:38. | |
Do you agree? We will be spelling out some things in the European | :08:38. | :08:44. | |
elections. I will be talking about this later on today. For instance, | :08:44. | :08:53. | |
European treaties the concept of ever closer union, a concept that in | :08:53. | :08:58. | |
believed in. We would like that ever closer union, a concept that in | :08:58. | :09:03. | |
consequences that would flow from that. We will be setting out the | :09:03. | :09:07. | |
examples and principles of the changes we want to say. Certainly | :09:07. | :09:12. | |
over the next year, not only before the European actions but the general | :09:12. | :09:16. | |
election, if you are saying, let have the exact list of anything | :09:16. | :09:21. | |
election, if you are saying, let negotiate, that is difficult because | :09:21. | :09:24. | |
there will be a negotiation of a new deal in Europe if David Cameron | :09:24. | :09:29. | |
there will be a negotiation of a new election. To some extent, that has | :09:29. | :09:35. | |
to be negotiated. Only 11% of your own councillors feel that people in | :09:35. | :09:38. | |
their area think that George Osborne is in touch with ordinary people. | :09:38. | :09:46. | |
is not for me to explain why people say what they say in surveys. The | :09:46. | :09:53. | |
important thing is what we are delivering for the country. What | :09:53. | :09:56. | |
George Osborne is delivering his renewed economic growth. 1.4 million | :09:56. | :10:00. | |
new jobs in the private sector, renewed economic growth. 1.4 million | :10:00. | :10:06. | |
for hard-working people, by reducing the tax for 25 million of them. | :10:06. | :10:09. | |
for hard-working people, by reducing Help To Buy scheme that we are | :10:09. | :10:12. | |
highlighting today. That is what really matters to people, actually, | :10:12. | :10:16. | |
I think you will find. Let's talk about helping ordinary people. Ed | :10:16. | :10:20. | |
Miliband is guilty freeze energy prices. What are you going to do | :10:20. | :10:28. | |
about energy prices, we already asked energy companies to put people | :10:28. | :10:36. | |
on their lowest tariffs. This has not been amended. -- implemented. | :10:36. | :10:45. | |
Why not? This is going to happen within this government. It is going | :10:45. | :10:51. | |
to happen within this government when the... Why hasn't it happened | :10:51. | :10:58. | |
now? People are suffering now from rising energy prices. It has not | :10:58. | :11:01. | |
happened because my colleagues have been implimenting it. In the case of | :11:01. | :11:07. | |
Ed Miliband's policy, if you are asking why it has not yet happened | :11:07. | :11:10. | |
under this Government, it didn't even survive a few our's scrutiny in | :11:10. | :11:16. | |
opposition. In a few hours he had to concede that if there was a big | :11:16. | :11:19. | |
change in oil prices then the policy would not work. The trouble is, | :11:19. | :11:22. | |
change in oil prices then the policy would dry up some of the investment | :11:22. | :11:30. | |
in the energy industry. I don't think it is a credible promise. | :11:30. | :11:33. | |
in the energy industry. I don't a party that presided over council | :11:33. | :11:33. | |
tax bills doubling in the next a party that presided over council | :11:33. | :11:40. | |
tax bills doubling in the next government, -- last government, | :11:40. | :11:46. | |
tax bills doubling in the next not very credible. Why is George | :11:46. | :11:48. | |
Osborne going against the European Well, we don't want to see the | :11:48. | :11:52. | |
European treaties used in a way Well, we don't want to see the | :11:52. | :11:56. | |
they should not be used. It's not necessarily over this particular | :11:56. | :12:01. | |
issue. It is over the power that the European Union has over our lives | :12:01. | :12:04. | |
and over this country. Can the bankers look after themselves? We | :12:04. | :12:08. | |
should be able to decide those things in our own country. We have | :12:08. | :12:11. | |
never signed up to such matters things in our own country. We have | :12:11. | :12:18. | |
European institutions. If you allow one thing that wasn't meant to be | :12:18. | :12:20. | |
decided to be decided, you find one thing that wasn't meant to be | :12:20. | :12:24. | |
there are another ten or 20 things that affect many other people. We | :12:24. | :12:26. | |
are very vigilant about what we that affect many other people. We | :12:26. | :12:32. | |
competence creep, with the European Union taking more powers than it was | :12:32. | :12:36. | |
meant to have. That is one of the referendum, do want a new deal in | :12:36. | :12:41. | |
Europe. That is what we intend to institution, ICAP, fined for fixing | :12:41. | :12:51. | |
the LIBOR rates. The founder of institution, ICAP, fined for fixing | :12:51. | :12:56. | |
company has donated £5 million to your party. Shouldn't you give it | :12:56. | :13:00. | |
back? Aren't you ashamed to accept that money? He has donated his own | :13:00. | :13:08. | |
Which he made out of ICAP. As people have to other parties, people are | :13:08. | :13:09. | |
free to do that and they should have to other parties, people are | :13:09. | :13:13. | |
free to do that. I am not aware have to other parties, people are | :13:13. | :13:16. | |
any plan for that to be repaid. Because you can't afford to. Let's | :13:16. | :13:21. | |
recap this. We have seen Tory MPs parrot propaganda lines from the | :13:21. | :13:25. | |
energy companies this week. We have the Chancellor going to court to | :13:25. | :13:29. | |
fight for unlimited banker bonuses. We have a top Tory donor the centre | :13:29. | :13:33. | |
fight for unlimited banker bonuses. of yet another city scandal. Ed | :13:33. | :13:35. | |
Miliband is right when he says you lot are on the side of the vested | :13:35. | :13:39. | |
interests so the rich and powerful, isn't he? Well, again, look at the | :13:39. | :13:46. | |
record. I just did! 1.4 million extra jobs in the private sector, 25 | :13:46. | :13:52. | |
million people with a tax cut, a Help To Buy scheme which is going to | :13:52. | :13:56. | |
help so many people, particularly young people have the house that | :13:56. | :14:03. | |
future. Council tax bills held down, welfare reform so that it pays to | :14:03. | :14:08. | |
work. Actually, this is a government achieving things for hard-working | :14:08. | :14:10. | |
While President Laugharne he's talking about peace, the Iranians | :14:10. | :14:32. | |
weapons programme. -- is talking. It would be hard to say from week | :14:32. | :14:37. | |
to week whether it is speeding up continuing with it. That is why | :14:37. | :14:44. | |
to week whether it is speeding up say the new message - the new words | :14:45. | :14:47. | |
- from Iranian leadership are very welcome. I said that to the Foreign | :14:48. | :14:52. | |
Minister in New York over the last few days but it is the actions that | :14:52. | :14:57. | |
will count. At the moment, the nuclear programme continues. We | :14:57. | :15:03. | |
negotiations on that and that will be a very important test as to | :15:03. | :15:06. | |
whether actions will match the words. When will we know it if we | :15:06. | :15:12. | |
are being strung along? He has strung as a long in the past as | :15:12. | :15:17. | |
are being strung along? He has nuclear weapons negotiator. When | :15:17. | :15:20. | |
will we know if he is not just doing that again? Over the next | :15:20. | :15:24. | |
will we know if he is not just weeks, it will be a very important | :15:24. | :15:27. | |
time. He has said there should be more transparency over the Iranian | :15:27. | :15:34. | |
transparent in many regards at the moment. The atomic agency is asking | :15:34. | :15:39. | |
for information that is not being given. One test is, in the coming | :15:40. | :15:47. | |
information? The information that the international of authority is | :15:47. | :15:51. | |
asking for about their nuclear programme. We will be able to form | :15:51. | :15:55. | |
a view of this in the coming weeks or months. It is important we test | :15:55. | :16:00. | |
their new willingness to talk to us important to find out whether they | :16:00. | :16:09. | |
asking, is the nuclear programme really continuing? Are they really | :16:09. | :16:14. | |
negotiations and offer something Speaking of being strung along, | :16:14. | :16:22. | |
what sanctions would President Assad face if, in six months - the | :16:22. | :16:31. | |
Year, Syria still has a chemical weapons arsenal. In the resolution | :16:31. | :16:36. | |
we voted through the UN Security Council on Friday night, is the | :16:36. | :16:44. | |
Council will take measures under Chapter seven of the UN Charter | :16:44. | :16:50. | |
Council will take measures under the event of non-compliance. Does | :16:50. | :16:53. | |
that allow full force? I did not catch that. Does that allow for | :16:53. | :17:00. | |
Security Council resolution about Iraq, which most people concluded | :17:00. | :17:05. | |
in not allow full force. It does not specify that. It talks about | :17:05. | :17:13. | |
terms seven of the charter. That is a message of the whole UN Security | :17:13. | :17:18. | |
Council that there will be measures - there will be consequences - if | :17:18. | :17:24. | |
the Assad regime does not comply. has a big commitment. I have spent | :17:24. | :17:33. | |
counterpart over the last week. Russia has said, this is something | :17:33. | :17:38. | |
you will have to do. We will work with Russia and others very closely | :17:38. | :17:43. | |
to check there is compliance will this resolution. Given the progress | :17:43. | :17:48. | |
that has been made, you must be very glad that the British House of | :17:48. | :17:53. | |
Commons stopped your rash to force against Syria. -- rush. The reason | :17:53. | :18:08. | |
credible threat of military action. has happened is because there was a | :18:08. | :18:14. | |
credible threat of military action. President Obama did not get it | :18:14. | :18:14. | |
through Congress. They have not President Obama did not get it | :18:14. | :18:20. | |
the vote in Congress. There is no other explanation as to why the | :18:20. | :18:25. | |
policy changed. It was because there was a debate about military | :18:25. | :18:29. | |
action in the West that the policy changed on theirs. That is why it | :18:29. | :18:35. | |
changed. We were not in a rush for military action. The boat put to | :18:35. | :18:39. | |
the House of Commons was to have inspectors reported. It was before | :18:39. | :18:50. | |
Russian and Syrian policy changed. We need to make sure that works | :18:50. | :19:02. | |
Russian and Syrian policy changed. practice. Thank you. What do you | :19:02. | :19:04. | |
make about this rushing forward with the help to buy scheme which | :19:04. | :19:09. | |
was meant to start next year - coming forward mad to the next | :19:09. | :19:14. | |
couple of weeks? I think it is a Government having an interest in | :19:14. | :19:28. | |
mortgage lending. -- there is a fundamental problem. It should have | :19:28. | :19:33. | |
been set much lower to exclude London and the South East where | :19:33. | :19:38. | |
houses are dramatically overvalued. Many economists think freezing | :19:38. | :19:44. | |
energy prices is a terrible policy. These policies can be popular. If | :19:44. | :19:49. | |
you have no chance of getting a deposit, the Government will make | :19:49. | :19:58. | |
Osborne tried every single lever. It looked like he could not do | :19:58. | :20:04. | |
anything to get the economy moving. It is moving. They have pulled it | :20:04. | :20:11. | |
forward and there are signs it is recovering. The reason why they | :20:11. | :20:14. | |
forward and there are signs it is doing this is they want to show | :20:14. | :20:17. | |
this week at the conference there are real sort of understandable | :20:17. | :20:21. | |
issues you can explain very simply that really up going to improve | :20:21. | :20:25. | |
people's lives. The Conservatives Miliband's speech last week. The | :20:25. | :20:34. | |
nuts. Much more cautious and -- language about the energy price | :20:34. | :20:49. | |
freeze. They are nervous that Ed Miliband may be touching a nerve on | :20:49. | :20:54. | |
that one. What we will get this week, I suggest, his Tory populism | :20:54. | :21:02. | |
to counter Miliband populism. I think we will see that and it will | :21:02. | :21:04. | |
be a mistake. As long as it is think we will see that and it will | :21:04. | :21:10. | |
about The Picture, they are on relatively strong ground. When the | :21:10. | :21:18. | |
political conversation changes to more fiddly things, particularities | :21:18. | :21:19. | |
standards, things that are some more fiddly things, particularities | :21:19. | :21:26. | |
below that picture, I do not think they can win a bidding war with | :21:26. | :21:30. | |
below that picture, I do not think Labour Party. It is about borrowing | :21:30. | :21:31. | |
against a party that stands for Labour Party. It is about borrowing | :21:31. | :21:43. | |
before the Labour conference, which is unemployment, GDP growth and | :21:43. | :21:48. | |
before the Labour conference, which warming economic picture. That does | :21:48. | :21:54. | |
not pay energy bills. Does not sound that the Tories have anything | :21:54. | :22:00. | |
not pay energy bills. Does not to counter the price freeze. -- | :22:00. | :22:02. | |
not pay energy bills. Does not does not sound. They have had a | :22:02. | :22:04. | |
week to think about a great attack line and they do not add anything. | :22:04. | :22:09. | |
the credibility test. Ed Miliband said, if there were a big spike | :22:09. | :22:32. | |
the credibility test. Ed Miliband energy prices, he would not be able | :22:32. | :22:33. | |
it is about credibility. Being seen as serious and grown-up is worth | :22:33. | :22:52. | |
it is about credibility. Being seen more than any burst of popularity. | :22:52. | :22:52. | |
with the election campaign, it My worry about the announcement | :22:52. | :23:01. | |
with the election campaign, it begins to lose credibility, begins | :23:01. | :23:06. | |
to seem a banana republic. It looks a lot less wise than it did last | :23:06. | :23:12. | |
week. I disagree. Every time energy bills go up and they will continue | :23:12. | :23:13. | |
to go up, it will be a reminder bills go up and they will continue | :23:13. | :23:18. | |
how much people are being hit in the pockets. People know by energy | :23:18. | :23:24. | |
prices are going up. There is a structural change in the world that | :23:24. | :23:28. | |
was not there before - China and India. These energy companies may | :23:28. | :23:33. | |
be making huge profit but, at the end of the day, what is driving | :23:33. | :23:39. | |
be making huge profit but, at the the cost of fuel is China and India. | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
Ed Miliband, great man that he is, I am not sure he can take on the | :23:42. | :23:47. | |
people Sammir on that one. How dare Labour's Conference in Brighton | :23:47. | :23:56. | |
last week. Dogged by criticism over the summer of his leadership style | :23:56. | :23:59. | |
and lack of policies, Mr Miliband tried to demonstrate his strength | :23:59. | :24:02. | |
of character with a series of bold announcements, and attempted to | :24:02. | :24:04. | |
position himself on the side of ordinary Brits. The Labour leader | :24:04. | :24:11. | |
told party members he would stand up to the strong and take on the | :24:11. | :24:13. | |
vested interests that hold back up to the strong and take on the | :24:13. | :24:17. | |
economy. In a speech in which he jokingly referred to himself as | :24:17. | :24:21. | |
economy. In a speech in which he action hero, Mr Miliband promised | :24:21. | :24:21. | |
to switch the forthcoming business action hero, Mr Miliband promised | :24:21. | :24:26. | |
tax cut from large firms to smaller businesses. He said he would force | :24:26. | :24:30. | |
big firms to train at an apprentice every time they bring in a worker | :24:30. | :24:35. | |
from outside the EU. He hinted that increasing the minimum wage would | :24:35. | :24:40. | |
be increased. He bowed to take on developers with a use it or lose it | :24:40. | :24:47. | |
threat to landowners and pledged to build 200,000 homes each year by | :24:47. | :24:52. | |
2020. He promised to freeze energy prices and reset the energy market. | :24:52. | :24:57. | |
The next Labour government will freeze gas and electricity prices | :24:57. | :25:06. | |
provoked a rash of headlines - hailing the return of red Ed macro. | :25:06. | :25:12. | |
It has also given him a spike in the polls. And Labour's Shadow | :25:12. | :25:14. | |
Ed Miliband says, our energy market is broken and does not work. In | :25:14. | :25:33. | |
what way is that market to date different from the one Labour left | :25:33. | :25:42. | |
companies that dominate the energy generate energy, and sell it on | :25:42. | :25:53. | |
companies that dominate the energy Miliband recognised when he was | :25:53. | :25:55. | |
Secretary of State and asked for more information from the company | :25:55. | :25:59. | |
Secretary of State and asked for is on hold serve costs and profits, | :25:59. | :26:00. | |
all the things we have done to mitigate against that in terms of a | :26:00. | :26:04. | |
warm front programme and everything Horsell market is too secretive | :26:04. | :26:13. | |
warm front programme and everything it is too much about such supply. - | :26:13. | :26:16. | |
- the wholesale market. We have been raising with the Government in | :26:16. | :26:18. | |
a co-operative way the argument been raising with the Government in | :26:18. | :26:25. | |
resetting the market. It has got worse in terms of speed at which | :26:25. | :26:31. | |
prices have gone up. Labour put wholesale and retail together. It | :26:31. | :26:34. | |
was the start this dates back to wholesale and retail together. It | :26:34. | :26:40. | |
was the start this dates back to privatisation. We took some reforms | :26:40. | :26:40. | |
realised it was not working and privatisation. We took some reforms | :26:40. | :26:48. | |
was broken and we need to reset privatisation. We took some reforms | :26:48. | :26:50. | |
Ed Miliband will be the first to onwards. Let's have a look at what | :26:50. | :26:54. | |
happened to energy prices under onwards. Let's have a look at what | :26:55. | :26:59. | |
Labour government. Electricity up 67%, gas up 139%. Overall prices up | :26:59. | :27:08. | |
by 48%. The market was broken and we saw prices biking as wholesale | :27:08. | :27:14. | |
prices went up. The tick action we saw prices biking as wholesale | :27:14. | :27:21. | |
the one Front programme, decent homes for social housing. -- we | :27:21. | :27:30. | |
programme. Trying to do things around social obligations needs | :27:30. | :27:35. | |
programme. Trying to do things be looked at. Gas and electricity | :27:35. | :27:43. | |
presided over but as a consequence of Labour policy. Beds have a look | :27:43. | :27:45. | |
at the breakdown of dual fuel - of Labour policy. Beds have a look | :27:45. | :27:52. | |
and electricity bill. -- let's have a look. The supply costs of getting | :27:52. | :27:59. | |
it to us and so on. The policies government - Green levies - are | :27:59. | :28:11. | |
energy bills. £112 on average bill of 1188. You have put the bill up. | :28:11. | :28:24. | |
obligations amount to £112. That helps the poorest insulate homes. | :28:24. | :28:29. | |
Overwhelmingly, looking at your wholesale costs are worth more than | :28:29. | :28:36. | |
half. What we have seen, based on figures we now have, in Eni macro, | :28:36. | :28:43. | |
a wholesale costs fell by 39% and that was not reflected in our bills. | :28:43. | :28:52. | |
Do you have plans to do anything about the £112? If you took that | :28:52. | :28:57. | |
off, you could cut bills by 10% tomorrow. Or if you were in power. | :28:57. | :29:02. | |
It is important that restimulate energy. It -- we stimulate. If we | :29:02. | :29:11. | |
do not have clean energy, we will be beholden for ever-more to fossil | :29:11. | :29:16. | |
do not have clean energy, we will fuels that are depleting. It will | :29:16. | :29:20. | |
create jobs and bring in investment will start in the last few years, | :29:20. | :29:30. | |
investment. If I could go back to whatever advance there are, looking | :29:30. | :29:37. | |
at whether the money raised through energy companies to deliver energy | :29:37. | :29:41. | |
efficiency, is that doing as well as it might? Could it be better | :29:41. | :29:46. | |
delivered by another agency? They are fair questions. We need to get | :29:46. | :29:53. | |
market. Can we make the market will competitive make sure when there is | :29:53. | :29:57. | |
downward pressure on wholesale prices, that is reflected on our | :29:57. | :30:02. | |
bills? That is the bigger picture argument. Also the freeze to help | :30:02. | :30:04. | |
As you complain about the energy prices, it was as a result of your | :30:04. | :30:17. | |
actions. Ed Miliband introduced prices, it was as a result of your | :30:17. | :30:20. | |
climate change act. He admitted prices would have to rise to pay for | :30:20. | :30:27. | |
decarbonisation. He said, we are going to minimise the costs as much | :30:27. | :30:30. | |
as possible, but it is true there is not a low-cost energy future out | :30:30. | :30:35. | |
there. It is important that we address the pressures on bills, | :30:35. | :30:38. | |
there. It is important that we also recognise that if we are going | :30:38. | :30:40. | |
to build a better future where we can have more home-grown British | :30:40. | :30:47. | |
renewables. Truth is it is about the market. I acknowledge I acknowledge | :30:47. | :30:59. | |
wholesale prices have fallen. They fell in 2009, we got a reduction in | :30:59. | :31:08. | |
bills of 5%. Which are saying that the big companies are overcharging | :31:08. | :31:09. | |
going up, but we haven't the big companies are overcharging | :31:09. | :31:14. | |
amount of the big companies are overcharging | :31:14. | :31:15. | |
those profits coming through. But the big companies are overcharging | :31:15. | :31:20. | |
that £125 is going to get the big companies are overcharging | :31:20. | :31:22. | |
because your leader said the big companies are overcharging | :31:22. | :31:26. | |
speech in Brighton that Labour will have a world leading commitment | :31:26. | :31:28. | |
speech in Brighton that Labour will Government to take out | :31:28. | :31:30. | |
speech in Brighton that Labour will from energy | :31:30. | :31:32. | |
speech in Brighton that Labour will is not that far away. By 2030, | :31:32. | :31:35. | |
speech in Brighton that Labour will more coal generation, no more gas | :31:35. | :31:36. | |
generation, only much more expensive more coal generation, no more gas | :31:36. | :31:41. | |
nuclear and much more more coal generation, no more gas | :31:41. | :31:42. | |
renewables. It cannot be more coal generation, no more gas | :31:42. | :31:43. | |
without bills going up even further? more coal generation, no more gas | :31:43. | :31:47. | |
Hang on a second. The 2030 target to more coal generation, no more gas | :31:47. | :31:51. | |
remove carbon from more coal generation, no more gas | :31:51. | :31:52. | |
supply, we have said we should set a more coal generation, no more gas | :31:52. | :31:55. | |
target now because, actually, it more coal generation, no more gas | :31:55. | :31:58. | |
gives us more time to plan ahead and also allows investment to come in. | :31:58. | :32:00. | |
gives us more time to plan ahead and There is plenty | :32:00. | :32:01. | |
gives us more time to plan ahead and in their pockets not want to | :32:01. | :32:03. | |
gives us more time to plan ahead and what they are stalling because of | :32:03. | :32:06. | |
gives us more time to plan ahead and the Government's hesitancy over | :32:06. | :32:07. | |
gives us more time to plan ahead and this. I just want a clarification | :32:07. | :32:08. | |
here. My understanding is that this. I just want a clarification | :32:08. | :32:13. | |
commitment is to get rid of all carbon from power generation | :32:13. | :32:16. | |
commitment is to get rid of all 2030? From the letters city supply. | :32:16. | :32:19. | |
commitment is to get rid of all Only electricity. We will still have | :32:19. | :32:23. | |
gas? We have always said we will need gas for decades to come. | :32:23. | :32:26. | |
gas? We have always said we will are clear for that. But you will be | :32:26. | :32:36. | |
increasingly dependent on expensive nuclear. EDF are currently demanding | :32:36. | :32:38. | |
increasingly dependent on expensive twice the market | :32:38. | :32:40. | |
increasingly dependent on expensive plans in this country. | :32:40. | :32:45. | |
increasingly dependent on expensive are two or three times | :32:45. | :32:47. | |
increasingly dependent on expensive price. Bills are going up under your | :32:47. | :32:49. | |
policies, and price. Bills are going up under your | :32:49. | :32:54. | |
policies? On nuclear, we took a decision | :32:54. | :32:55. | |
policies? On nuclear, we took a that we needed to revitalise | :32:55. | :33:00. | |
policies? On nuclear, we took a sector, to hit targets on | :33:00. | :33:03. | |
policies? On nuclear, we took a energy and make sure it can do the | :33:03. | :33:05. | |
policies? On nuclear, we took a heavy lifting. The Government at | :33:05. | :33:08. | |
policies? On nuclear, we took a present time are | :33:08. | :33:09. | |
policies? On nuclear, we took a discussions with | :33:09. | :33:10. | |
policies? On nuclear, we took a strike price should be. It's | :33:10. | :33:13. | |
important, because I don't know what it's going to be, it is important | :33:13. | :33:15. | |
that stands up to scrutiny in terms it's going to be, it is important | :33:15. | :33:18. | |
of value for money. At it's going to be, it is important | :33:18. | :33:23. | |
time, I go back to market reforms. We will not just have | :33:23. | :33:25. | |
time, I go back to market reforms. difference, the | :33:25. | :33:30. | |
time, I go back to market reforms. we will have it for renewables as | :33:30. | :33:32. | |
well. That is even more important, we will have it for renewables as | :33:32. | :33:35. | |
that we have a transparent we will have it for renewables as | :33:35. | :33:37. | |
that we can have a robust target price to be judged against. Michael | :33:37. | :33:42. | |
that we can have a robust target Gove recognised in | :33:42. | :33:43. | |
that we can have a robust target that the market was not working. The | :33:43. | :33:45. | |
Telegraph that the market was not working. The | :33:45. | :33:49. | |
they used the term cosy cartel. We have former advisers to David | :33:49. | :33:54. | |
Cameron saying something needs to be have former advisers to David | :33:54. | :33:56. | |
done. I'm surprised David have former advisers to David | :33:56. | :33:59. | |
doesn't acknowledge that. You are going to freeze prices for 20 months | :33:59. | :34:03. | |
and will come up with a new going to freeze prices for 20 months | :34:03. | :34:07. | |
regulator to replace Ofgem. Will that regulator have the power to | :34:07. | :34:10. | |
control prices? The new energy watchdog will have a strategy | :34:10. | :34:16. | |
control prices? The new energy responsibility to monitor the | :34:16. | :34:17. | |
wholesale costs and prices, which responsibility to monitor the | :34:17. | :34:20. | |
currently doesn't have at the moment. As a result of that it | :34:20. | :34:24. | |
currently doesn't have at the have the power | :34:24. | :34:25. | |
currently doesn't have at the wholesale prices fall, it can | :34:25. | :34:28. | |
currently doesn't have at the the energy companies, if they don't, | :34:28. | :34:31. | |
currently doesn't have at the to pass on reductions in bills to | :34:31. | :34:34. | |
consumers. It will not have to pass on reductions in bills to | :34:34. | :34:38. | |
see in some parts of the European Union, 15 of them, that have a | :34:38. | :34:40. | |
variety of price controls Union, 15 of them, that have a | :34:40. | :34:44. | |
things at below inflation and what have you. France, Spain, Italy. It | :34:44. | :34:47. | |
things at below inflation and what will not do that. Why? | :34:47. | :34:50. | |
things at below inflation and what are looking at a temporary price | :34:50. | :34:54. | |
things at below inflation and what freeze to reflect a | :34:54. | :34:55. | |
things at below inflation and what wholesale prices, to give the | :34:55. | :34:56. | |
British public respite from ever wholesale prices, to give the | :34:56. | :35:00. | |
climbing bills while they wholesale prices, to give the | :35:00. | :35:02. | |
reforms into the market. At the end of this, what we want is | :35:02. | :35:06. | |
reforms into the market. At the end trusted, that is more transparent. | :35:06. | :35:09. | |
reforms into the market. At the end We do believe it is right that, | :35:09. | :35:13. | |
actually, we need a regulator that has much more of a role in making | :35:13. | :35:16. | |
actually, we need a regulator that sure the market is managed | :35:16. | :35:19. | |
effectively. Are you accusing energy companies of profiteering? EU I am | :35:19. | :35:25. | |
accusing them of companies of profiteering? EU I am | :35:25. | :35:28. | |
not passing on wholesale reduction companies of profiteering? EU I am | :35:28. | :35:30. | |
costs to the customer in a fair companies of profiteering? EU I am | :35:30. | :35:32. | |
Of making Carter -- cartel profits? companies of profiteering? EU I am | :35:32. | :35:43. | |
I do believe that the level of profits they have passed on to their | :35:43. | :35:47. | |
shareholders is high, profits they have passed on to their | :35:47. | :35:49. | |
the reductions they could have profits they have passed on to their | :35:49. | :35:51. | |
provided to consumers. Let's profits they have passed on to their | :35:51. | :35:52. | |
the evidence for that. profits they have passed on to their | :35:52. | :35:58. | |
British owned companies, SSE and Centrica. In the last fiscal year | :35:58. | :36:01. | |
British owned companies, SSE and they made combined earnings of £4 | :36:01. | :36:05. | |
billion. But they invested £3 billion. The remaining money went to | :36:05. | :36:10. | |
billion. But they invested £3 debt servicing and | :36:10. | :36:11. | |
billion. But they invested £3 which go into pension funds. Where | :36:11. | :36:15. | |
billion. But they invested £3 in these figures is the | :36:15. | :36:16. | |
profiteering? My figures that I in these figures is the | :36:16. | :36:20. | |
through their reporting to Ofgem and work done by other organisations, | :36:20. | :36:27. | |
Witch and others, it shows work done by other organisations, | :36:27. | :36:29. | |
Centrica's case they have something work done by other organisations, | :36:29. | :36:32. | |
like 8% return in profit work done by other organisations, | :36:32. | :36:34. | |
the retail side. That goes up to 24% work done by other organisations, | :36:34. | :36:37. | |
on the generation side. They have work done by other organisations, | :36:37. | :36:40. | |
passed on, in terms of profits, something I70 4% through evidence to | :36:40. | :36:45. | |
shareholders. But these figures don't show that. They have invested | :36:45. | :36:47. | |
shareholders. But these figures £3 billion. I am reporting what has | :36:47. | :36:54. | |
shareholders. But these figures been reported by Ofgem. Ofgem has | :36:54. | :36:56. | |
not accused them of been reported by Ofgem. Ofgem has | :36:56. | :37:00. | |
They may well be, but we don't have the evidence. I would accuse Ofgem | :37:00. | :37:02. | |
of not doing the job they the evidence. I would accuse Ofgem | :37:02. | :37:05. | |
doing, and they have held back from tackling the issue. It is | :37:05. | :37:08. | |
acknowledged, across the sector, tackling the issue. It is | :37:08. | :37:11. | |
across the big six, something tackling the issue. It is | :37:11. | :37:13. | |
50% of profits has gone tackling the issue. It is | :37:13. | :37:17. | |
dividends to shareholders. In Centrica's case it is 74%. On the | :37:17. | :37:21. | |
Centrica example, even though they have had the highest profit | :37:21. | :37:23. | |
Centrica example, even though they they have invested the least. | :37:23. | :37:27. | |
Centrica example, even though they fair to question. We are | :37:27. | :37:31. | |
Centrica example, even though they of time. None of us really know what | :37:31. | :37:33. | |
the true price of energy of time. None of us really know what | :37:33. | :37:38. | |
Labour's policy to reform his crucial. That | :37:38. | :37:40. | |
Labour's policy to reform his the market and we can't | :37:40. | :37:42. | |
Labour's policy to reform his difference. If they continue putting | :37:42. | :37:44. | |
Labour's policy to reform his prices up, even after your price | :37:44. | :37:45. | |
freeze, if they don't invest prices up, even after your price | :37:45. | :37:50. | |
way that they do, do you rule out wholesale | :37:50. | :37:51. | |
way that they do, do you rule out Absolutely. I want a more | :37:51. | :37:54. | |
way that they do, do you rule out competitive market and that is why | :37:54. | :37:55. | |
we are resetting it. You are competitive market and that is why | :37:55. | :37:59. | |
watching Sunday Politics. competitive market and that is why | :37:59. | :38:00. | |
in just over 20 minutes I will be competitive market and that is why | :38:00. | :38:02. | |
looking at the week ahead with Hello and this is the | :38:02. | :38:03. | |
political panel and Hello and this is the Sunday | :38:03. | :38:23. | |
Politics. Coming up: On the eve of the Conservative party conference, | :38:23. | :38:25. | |
our political editor talks to the prime minister about Franklin, | :38:25. | :38:30. | |
children's centres and the threat of —— fracking. | :38:30. | :38:40. | |
Welcome to my guests. Kent county council could be in line for a bill | :38:40. | :38:46. | |
of millions of pounds for years to PFI come, paying for contracts on | :38:46. | :38:52. | |
academy schools. The council lost its battle with the government and | :38:52. | :38:56. | |
will have to pay £1 million a year to maintain the building and | :38:56. | :39:01. | |
facilities at the absolute Academy. —— absolute. This could have far | :39:01. | :39:12. | |
reaching applications. Paul, this was a Labour government initiative | :39:12. | :39:20. | |
PFI, . It sounds like it could be disastrous. It was started by the | :39:20. | :39:24. | |
previous Conservative government. The imperative was so that the | :39:24. | :39:30. | |
buildings could be built. It was worth it to repair the schools and | :39:30. | :39:36. | |
hospitals at the time. Now we are paying in retrospect. Raymond, this | :39:36. | :39:39. | |
highlights what a grey area the whole subject of academies is. It's | :39:39. | :39:44. | |
something that Michael Gove is enthusiastically putting through. | :39:44. | :39:50. | |
Let me make it clear, academies are doing exceptionally well. Looking at | :39:50. | :39:53. | |
the results from 2011 to 2012 and the GCSE results, they are | :39:54. | :39:58. | |
exceptionally high. It's a choice which parents can make, where their | :39:58. | :40:02. | |
child wants to go to school. We should give parents choice. The | :40:02. | :40:11. | |
thing with that, in my view, once a school becomes independent and | :40:11. | :40:15. | |
autonomous, it should carry that financial liability by itself, | :40:15. | :40:18. | |
rather than leaving it with the local authority. It's that money | :40:18. | :40:23. | |
which the local authority has can go to other schools. | :40:23. | :40:28. | |
The future of many of our ancient woodlands could be under threat if | :40:28. | :40:31. | |
they plan to widen the 821 near Tonbridge Kent is given the | :40:31. | :40:38. | |
go—ahead. —— A21. The government 's new planning guidelines places | :40:38. | :40:45. | |
presumption on favour of... In a minute, we will speak to the council | :40:45. | :40:50. | |
who thinks the road should get the go—ahead but first, our reporter | :40:50. | :40:53. | |
went to the woods to look at the arguments being made to save them. | :40:53. | :41:04. | |
Majestic and awe—inspiring. This woodland has taken more than 400 | :41:04. | :41:12. | |
years to mature. But now its future may signal the few —— the fate of | :41:12. | :41:17. | |
other ancient woodlands around the country because 22 acres of these | :41:17. | :41:22. | |
words may have to make way for this. The decision on widening this | :41:22. | :41:29. | |
stretch of the A21 is being seen as a landmark ruling on the government | :41:29. | :41:33. | |
's new planning policy. We are concerned this will set a precedent | :41:33. | :41:35. | |
for other schemes where again, there are other options. Destruction is | :41:35. | :41:42. | |
avoidable. We don't want to see too many decisions coming out that lead | :41:42. | :41:46. | |
people down the route to think the easy option is to destroy the | :41:46. | :41:50. | |
ancient woodland. We are worried it would become a soft target. The | :41:50. | :41:56. | |
first major test of the National planning policy framework also | :41:56. | :41:59. | |
centred on ancient woodlands in Kent and its outcome last week has got | :41:59. | :42:05. | |
campaigners worried. They lost their fight to stop the destruction of 80 | :42:06. | :42:10. | |
acres of oak wood near Maidstone to make way for a quarry expansion. | :42:10. | :42:15. | |
They had tried to force a judicial review of the decision made by the | :42:15. | :42:19. | |
Secretary of State for communities and local government, Eric pickles. | :42:19. | :42:25. | |
The decision has basically served a potential death sentence on every | :42:25. | :42:28. | |
single piece of ancient woodland in this country. No ancient woodland is | :42:28. | :42:33. | |
no say. This is a massive national crisis alone over Lib Dems are | :42:33. | :42:38. | |
hugely concerned about this. I hope now the Conservatives will start to | :42:38. | :42:43. | |
realise what this decision means. Conservationists say nothing can | :42:43. | :42:52. | |
make up for destroying this habitat as it has taken centuries to evolve. | :42:52. | :42:57. | |
Some parts of the woodlands around the road may also be designated as a | :42:57. | :43:02. | |
site of special scientific interest. But this fight is not just a matter | :43:02. | :43:10. | |
of protecting the environment. They are taking the easy option. Quite | :43:10. | :43:15. | |
often, road expansion is a short—term fix. Studies show that | :43:15. | :43:17. | |
soon after the road widening, short—term fix. Studies show that | :43:17. | :43:23. | |
transport expands to fit capacity available. We would rather see a | :43:23. | :43:26. | |
more holistic solution, whether that's public transport or | :43:26. | :43:30. | |
tunnelling. A public enquiry as to whether to make it dual carriageway | :43:30. | :43:36. | |
finished this summer. The government says it could bring £400 million | :43:36. | :43:40. | |
worth of economic benefits, opponents argue this is the wrong | :43:40. | :43:44. | |
approach. This whole concept of economic growth at any cost has to | :43:44. | :43:49. | |
be challenged. Frankly, with economic growth you get further | :43:49. | :43:53. | |
environmental destruction, the environment is under huge pressure, | :43:53. | :43:55. | |
we are already living way beyond our means. There is also an argument | :43:55. | :44:03. | |
that woodlands themselves bring their own economic benefits. There | :44:03. | :44:10. | |
were 30 million visits to woodlands and forests in the south—east last | :44:10. | :44:18. | |
year. Natural England estimates that £180 million was spent during those | :44:18. | :44:23. | |
visits. And here in the south—east, we have four times more ancient | :44:23. | :44:30. | |
woodland and the national average. There is growing concern about the | :44:30. | :44:33. | |
fate of other ancient woodlands in the south—east. At a public meeting | :44:33. | :44:37. | |
in Maidstone this week, residents met to discuss the risk posed to a | :44:37. | :44:42. | |
dozen other sites in the borough. I think we are going to lose | :44:42. | :44:46. | |
irretrievably a lot of what is the green space around Maidstone. It is | :44:46. | :44:50. | |
supposed to be the Garden of England, Kent, and we are just | :44:50. | :44:57. | |
worried that all our green spaces are being swallowed up. The final | :44:57. | :45:01. | |
decision over the road expansion is due in the next few months. In the | :45:01. | :45:05. | |
meantime, campaigners say the fate of the country 's ancient woodlands | :45:05. | :45:10. | |
hangs in the balance. Will the government is planning | :45:10. | :45:14. | |
reforms mean economic interest will always take priority over the | :45:14. | :45:23. | |
environment? We are joined in the studio by the | :45:23. | :45:28. | |
leader of Tonbridge Borough Council. Hello. Anyone who regularly | :45:28. | :45:34. | |
uses that road will be in favour of whitening it. You convinced that | :45:34. | :45:38. | |
long—term, this is the answer to cutting congestion in the area? What | :45:38. | :45:42. | |
we need to look at is what we've got at the moment. There is a very | :45:42. | :45:47. | |
strong case for duelling the road on this four mile stretch. Festival, | :45:47. | :45:50. | |
congestion is a significant problem. In itself, that is a | :45:50. | :45:55. | |
barrier to economic activity and development. Second, we need to look | :45:55. | :45:58. | |
at the poor safety record of the road. More recently, with fatalities | :45:58. | :46:02. | |
that have taken place. There was a young girl in Sevenoaks who was | :46:02. | :46:06. | |
killed going down the hill. We now also need to consider that this | :46:06. | :46:07. | |
stretch of road serves the new strategic hospital at Pembrey. It is | :46:07. | :46:16. | |
regrettable that when the agreement was agreed by the government, they | :46:16. | :46:20. | |
didn't also locked in the duelling of the road. 90% of our congestion | :46:20. | :46:26. | |
is in towns. Anyone will tell you, the road coming into Tonbridge Wells | :46:26. | :46:31. | |
is very congested. All that will happen is the traffic get there | :46:31. | :46:35. | |
faster and stints in a Jew. It's fine on the weekend. Sometimes it is | :46:35. | :46:41. | |
very congested. If you see the road in peak hours, it's incredibly | :46:41. | :46:45. | |
congested. The congestion goes into Tonbridge itself from the | :46:45. | :46:51. | |
roundabout. A wider faster road to get those times will help. It will | :46:51. | :46:55. | |
help and it will also help businesses do their business. The | :46:55. | :47:03. | |
Federation of small businesses said that 75% of respondents said that | :47:03. | :47:06. | |
duelling the road will help the economic activity. It will mean loss | :47:06. | :47:13. | |
of ancient woodlands. These particular habitats. Does that | :47:13. | :47:16. | |
concern you at all? That is regrettable but we also need to | :47:16. | :47:20. | |
consider that we're talking about nine characters of woodland. That's | :47:20. | :47:24. | |
about 1% of the total... It is ancient woodland but I think we also | :47:24. | :47:29. | |
need to look ahead as well. Are we going to be stymied in terms of | :47:29. | :47:31. | |
economic growth because of what we've got from our heritage? I think | :47:31. | :47:36. | |
we need to have a sustainable economic development and this is the | :47:36. | :47:39. | |
right way to achieve that. What do you think, Raymond? This is the | :47:39. | :47:44. | |
wider question for this very green part of the world. As economic | :47:44. | :47:48. | |
development always worthwhile at the expense of ancient woodland? Not at | :47:48. | :47:51. | |
all. You have to find a balance between the two. The same debate was | :47:51. | :47:55. | |
had with high—speed one which came to Kent. Look at the benefits that | :47:55. | :47:59. | |
are coming to the south—east as a result of that. We have the same | :47:59. | :48:04. | |
argument with the motorway when it came about. You have to balance the | :48:04. | :48:09. | |
environment and economy. I think one goes with the other. You cannot do | :48:09. | :48:14. | |
one without other. Are you concerned about the mood music coming from | :48:14. | :48:21. | |
Conservative ministers, all talking about the sacrifices of the | :48:21. | :48:23. | |
environment for the sake of economic growth? If you look at the national | :48:23. | :48:31. | |
policy framework which talks about the presumption in favour of keeping | :48:31. | :48:37. | |
ancient woodland, and also preserving irreplaceable habitats, | :48:37. | :48:38. | |
the presumption is woodland. But in exceptional | :48:38. | :48:47. | |
circumstances, if the benefit outweighs the loss, you have to go | :48:47. | :48:51. | |
with the benefit. He will also have to see what you can do to preserve | :48:51. | :48:54. | |
the environment. Ultimately, you have to take into account the | :48:54. | :48:57. | |
environmental features. If it does go ahead, you have to do everything | :48:57. | :49:01. | |
you can to put into place environmental features to ensure | :49:01. | :49:08. | |
that. You must... Ed Miliband talk about building more housing and | :49:08. | :49:11. | |
forcing housing on rural communities. He's not going to lose | :49:11. | :49:15. | |
any votes by that kind of call, is it? The first thing the government | :49:15. | :49:18. | |
did was to abolish the infrastructure planning commission. | :49:18. | :49:22. | |
That means you don't have that overview so you can strategically | :49:22. | :49:26. | |
plan your 30s, your roads, your railways as well and the green | :49:26. | :49:41. | |
spaces that will enjoy. You have the regional spatial strategy which went | :49:41. | :49:46. | |
to concrete over 27 different towns who ran the country. At the expense | :49:46. | :49:52. | |
of our woodlands? One of our organisations has said housing is | :49:52. | :49:56. | |
the biggest threat to ancient woodlands. That is why you need an | :49:56. | :50:00. | |
overview. We have to recognise our population is growing and people | :50:00. | :50:02. | |
want to live an attractive places. All of these areas were originally | :50:02. | :50:06. | |
feels and now they are not. We have to encroach to some degree but it's | :50:06. | :50:11. | |
about getting the balance right. Final question, you want your road | :50:11. | :50:15. | |
to be widened. We understand that but are you not worried | :50:16. | :50:18. | |
president that sets for the president that sets foot of valuable | :50:18. | :50:21. | |
parts of our countryside? I think that it has to be a case—by—case | :50:21. | :50:27. | |
basis. The arguments over the duelling of this section of road | :50:27. | :50:30. | |
have been going on for years and years. We have recently had the | :50:30. | :50:41. | |
public enquiry. I wait with baited breath to see if we get the scheme | :50:41. | :50:44. | |
ready so that when the Chancellor releases the government —— money in | :50:44. | :50:46. | |
2015, we can have the scheme ready Now, it is week three of the party | :50:46. | :50:49. | |
conference season and the Conservatives are meeting in | :50:49. | :50:52. | |
Manchester. A survey of Tory councillors carried out for this | :50:52. | :50:56. | |
programme has found that 22% of them would support a pact with UKIP. | :50:56. | :51:08. | |
I am not looking for pacts. I think we need to give people a clear | :51:08. | :51:14. | |
choice at the next election. The British economy has turned a corner. | :51:14. | :51:19. | |
We are seeing more jobs, more new businesses. You're beginning to get | :51:19. | :51:22. | |
things moving again. Do you want to stick with us on the right track, | :51:22. | :51:26. | |
delivering a colony for hard—working people or do you want to protect —— | :51:26. | :51:30. | |
that at risk with Ed Miliband and his crazy plans to tax business out | :51:30. | :51:36. | |
of existence? I've got to do more to win people over. But I think when we | :51:36. | :51:39. | |
make the arguments about how we are getting control of immigration, | :51:39. | :51:43. | |
forming our —— reforming our welfare system, school standards are | :51:43. | :51:46. | |
raising, you're sorting out his problems, I think we will bring | :51:46. | :51:51. | |
people back. If not UKIP a pact with, or how about wooing back their | :51:51. | :51:55. | |
voters? There are concerns in the south—east. We are dealing with all | :51:55. | :51:59. | |
of those issues. Let me take one, the Europe issue which is important | :51:59. | :52:04. | |
to some voters. I have promised that if re—elected, we will have a wee | :52:04. | :52:08. | |
negotiation and then and in/out referendum. | :52:08. | :52:11. | |
Residents in Sittingbourne were shocked to find the council had | :52:11. | :59:04. | |
painted a series of short yellow lines around cars in the middle of | :59:04. | :59:10. | |
the night. Residents think they have crossed the line. Pathetic. | :59:10. | :59:16. | |
Horrendous. Never seen something so shocking. They are pulling no | :59:16. | :59:22. | |
punches and nor is he in Dale on the Brighton seafront. He was wrestled | :59:22. | :59:32. | |
away. He has apologised and received a caution from the police. Caroline | :59:32. | :59:35. | |
Lucas has gone one further and was charged for an offence this week. | :59:35. | :59:43. | |
The Brighton MP faces one charge of obstructing the highway. Lucas says | :59:43. | :59:46. | |
she believes in the right to peaceful process. Finally, Tracey | :59:46. | :59:52. | |
sparked a security alert in the House of Commons. Turns out it was | :59:52. | :59:59. | |
spider spray. Her house is currently invested with the creepy crawlies. | :59:59. | :00:05. | |
Poor old Tracey. I am not going to ask you whether you are scared of | :00:05. | :00:09. | |
spiders. What do you think of Caroline Lucas? She is standing up | :00:09. | :00:15. | |
for her values. I think it is reckless because the first thing we | :00:15. | :00:20. | |
do is to tell our children to stay within the law. If Caroline wants to | :00:20. | :00:24. | |
demonstrate peacefully, absolutely right and proper. Everyone has a | :00:24. | :00:27. | |
right to do that. But there is a line. If you cross that, whether you | :00:27. | :00:33. | |
are an MP, or a senior person out there, you are still subject to the | :00:33. | :00:36. | |
same law as other residents. On that basis, the courts should try it | :00:36. | :00:42. | |
fairly. It could win her votes. She is desperate to get arrested. She | :00:42. | :00:45. | |
was dying to be arrested. This will encourage you. What would you stand | :00:45. | :00:53. | |
for? I would say that you should stand up your principles. You must | :00:53. | :00:57. | |
act within the law. Thank you very much. That's all we've got time for. | :00:57. | :01:19. | |
So, we'll David Cameron's marriage tax break win over voters? How will | :01:19. | :01:25. | |
So, we'll David Cameron's marriage conference initiatives? And what is | :01:25. | :01:36. | |
UKIP leader Nigel FarageFarage up to with the Tories in Manchester? | :01:36. | :01:41. | |
On this business of a possible Tory- UKIP pact, in a general election, | :01:41. | :01:56. | |
let's see what David Cameron had to say about that earlier. I am not | :01:56. | :02:02. | |
looking for a packed. I think we need to give people a clear choice | :02:02. | :02:05. | |
at the general election. The British economy has turned a corner. We | :02:05. | :02:09. | |
at the general election. The British on the right track, we are seeing | :02:09. | :02:11. | |
more jobs, new businesses, we are beginning to get things moving | :02:11. | :02:14. | |
again. Do you want to stick with us, hard-working people, or do you want | :02:14. | :02:20. | |
to put it at risk with Ed Miliband hard-working people, or do you want | :02:20. | :02:25. | |
and his crazy plans to tax business out of existence? That was the Prime | :02:25. | :02:31. | |
there any appetite on the UKIP side discussions around the country, | :02:31. | :02:39. | |
there any appetite on the UKIP side would say no. It's being discussed, | :02:39. | :02:50. | |
is the media that is pushing this. It has reflected what has happened | :02:50. | :02:53. | |
conference season began. Labour It has reflected what has happened | :02:53. | :02:59. | |
trying to reclaim what I would call position. I'm not sure what the | :02:59. | :03:05. | |
Liberal Democrats or two, but the Conservatives are trying to react to | :03:05. | :03:11. | |
accusation they are lurching more to the right, which the media wants to | :03:11. | :03:16. | |
able to do some sort of pact with interpret as them possibly being | :03:16. | :03:20. | |
able to do some sort of pact with UKIP. Have you given any thought to | :03:20. | :03:26. | |
whatsoever. It is not on the radar. I have read comments, including | :03:26. | :03:33. | |
Carswell, the Eurosceptics, that they might form a potential, let's | :03:33. | :03:39. | |
call it, you know, cabinet. If there were UKIP members, I don't doubt | :03:39. | :03:43. | |
that Nigel Farage would be one of them. But I would reiterate it is | :03:43. | :03:46. | |
not discussions that are taking place. I am thinking more of an | :03:46. | :03:54. | |
have responded to that by saying, the moment, there are no ongoing | :03:54. | :03:58. | |
discussions. There is certainly constituency level or coming out of | :03:58. | :04:05. | |
believe any constituencies are Eurosceptics? I am not privy to | :04:05. | :04:14. | |
believe any constituencies are all 360 constituencies might be | :04:14. | :04:16. | |
discussing. All I can do is give you the example of the few I have seen | :04:16. | :04:22. | |
and know it is not on the agenda. Without a pact, it is perfectly | :04:22. | :04:24. | |
possible that you could fail to Without a pact, it is perfectly | :04:24. | :04:29. | |
a single seat at the next election, but put Ed Miliband into Downing | :04:29. | :04:34. | |
Street? Categorically not. There are a number of seats out there that are | :04:34. | :04:36. | |
very clear marginals, just like a number of seats out there that are | :04:36. | :04:53. | |
Izzard was. I believe there could be an MP -- just like Eastleigh was. If | :04:53. | :04:58. | |
you take enough votes away from an MP -- just like Eastleigh was. If | :04:58. | :05:01. | |
Tories, if you make sure that Labour wins? I will go back to the comment | :05:02. | :05:07. | |
I made. If you take Eastleigh as an example, a Liberal Democrat held | :05:07. | :05:12. | |
seat, even after that result, does not mean that UKIP is suddenly going | :05:12. | :05:17. | |
to be focusing on Tory seats. We are out there because people resonate | :05:17. | :05:20. | |
with our message. For the Liberal Democrats to make it abundantly | :05:21. | :05:23. | |
clear that they will not support a referendum, that they will not | :05:23. | :05:27. | |
support any discussion on leaving the queue, that could be a big | :05:27. | :05:31. | |
turn-off for voters. David Cameron says there is not going to be a | :05:31. | :05:33. | |
pact, Diane James says there is says there is not going to be a | :05:33. | :05:36. | |
going to be one. There might be says there is not going to be a | :05:36. | :05:38. | |
or at a constituency level. But says there is not going to be a | :05:38. | :05:41. | |
seems clear to me that there will not be a national one. So, does | :05:41. | :05:46. | |
David Cameron have a UKIP strategy? The only encouraging thing for | :05:46. | :05:48. | |
UKIP's successful David Cameron that the moment that he would only | :05:48. | :05:51. | |
that their support is so enormous that the moment that he would only | :05:51. | :05:55. | |
really need to win back maybe a third or a quarter of its to make a | :05:55. | :05:58. | |
decisive difference to the Tory share of the vote in 2015. The | :05:58. | :06:02. | |
question becomes, how much of that UKIP support is up for grabs? A | :06:02. | :06:07. | |
question becomes, how much of that last week suggested that 47% of | :06:07. | :06:09. | |
current UKIP voters would consider voting Tory if it meant preventing | :06:09. | :06:12. | |
Ed Miliband becoming Prime Minister. That number goes up to 57% against | :06:12. | :06:18. | |
recovery. So, plausibly, there is secondary question is, what does | :06:18. | :06:25. | |
David Cameron do to win over those people? He has tried a Europe will | :06:25. | :06:29. | |
referendum and it didn't work. He tried travelling up his immigration | :06:29. | :06:32. | |
policy and that didn't work. I wonder if it is time. You wait until | :06:32. | :06:38. | |
the run-up to 2015, when they start to focus on the explicit choice | :06:38. | :06:44. | |
Cameron, and that is what shifts a Cameron. We heard from William Hague | :06:44. | :06:52. | |
earlier in the programme, the Tory line is that if you vote UKIP you | :06:52. | :06:55. | |
could end up with Ed Miliband in Downing Street. That is the simple | :06:55. | :07:01. | |
appeal, isn't it? Yes, and I think Diane is right, I think the European | :07:01. | :07:07. | |
elections will show a good showing for UKIP. It is deemed the one where | :07:07. | :07:12. | |
you can play away. I think it will be hard for people to get excited | :07:12. | :07:14. | |
about that, I think that bounce be hard for people to get excited | :07:14. | :07:20. | |
fade away. In Eastleigh, they had a good ground game, that is difficult | :07:20. | :07:25. | |
for UKIP, that don't have that machinery sorted. How are they going | :07:26. | :07:28. | |
to fund that operation? But the machinery sorted. How are they going | :07:28. | :07:33. | |
bounce could fade away after the European elections. Even if they go | :07:33. | :07:39. | |
election, they are still immensely dangerous to the Conservative Party. | :07:39. | :07:43. | |
But there is really only two things David Cameron can do. One is to | :07:43. | :07:47. | |
But there is really only two things boring and talk about helping people | :07:47. | :07:49. | |
with their mortgage, helping with bread and butter issues. The second | :07:49. | :07:54. | |
thing is, those European actions, he tends to the natural Conservative | :07:54. | :07:57. | |
voters and says, you have had your fun, next year do you want me or Ed | :07:57. | :07:59. | |
Miliband us your prime and? The fun, next year do you want me or Ed | :07:59. | :08:03. | |
danger with David Cameron is saying, of course, there is not going to be | :08:03. | :08:07. | |
a pact, the danger is you will get a repeat of the 1977 election. John | :08:07. | :08:13. | |
Major said, famously, do not bind my hands. A series of Conservative | :08:13. | :08:19. | |
personally rule out membership of the euro, when the Conservative | :08:19. | :08:23. | |
membership was wait and see. That looked like a Prime Minister not in | :08:23. | :08:25. | |
charge of his party. The danger looked like a Prime Minister not in | :08:25. | :08:31. | |
Let's assume you do really well looked like a Prime Minister not in | :08:31. | :08:34. | |
the European actions and there is a widespread expectation that you | :08:34. | :08:41. | |
will, even in Downing Street. They might be managing expectations. | :08:41. | :08:44. | |
will, even in Downing Street. They stops you fading away as the general | :08:44. | :08:47. | |
election approaches? A number of reasons. As has been mentioned, | :08:47. | :08:50. | |
election approaches? A number of whole issue of the referendum pledge | :08:50. | :08:52. | |
has been proved to be an absolute nonsense. It is so contingent on if | :08:52. | :08:59. | |
I am re-elected, if it's not a coalition government, is, if, if. | :08:59. | :09:07. | |
That was fooled nobody. The issue of where voters are coming from, it is | :09:07. | :09:08. | |
because they have lost faith in where voters are coming from, it is | :09:08. | :09:12. | |
David Cameron says. There is nothing he is going to say that is convince | :09:12. | :09:18. | |
think that is my view and the view of a lot of UKIP. I am told that | :09:18. | :09:21. | |
they have expunged Nigel Farage of a lot of UKIP. I am told that | :09:21. | :09:29. | |
the fringes? It is a great scoop, on the front page. They are outside the | :09:29. | :09:33. | |
ring of steel. Even so, they won't programme, so they must be worried | :09:33. | :09:38. | |
paid money for adverts in the Tory about something. His people have | :09:38. | :09:42. | |
paid money for adverts in the Tory brochure and his name has been taken | :09:42. | :09:43. | |
out. Speaking of people the Tory brochure and his name has been taken | :09:43. | :09:47. | |
leadership is worried about, Boris Johnson, are we in any doubt as | :09:47. | :09:52. | |
leadership is worried about, Boris interview that he is now beginning | :09:52. | :09:59. | |
his long march back to Parliament? He does express feeling slightly sad | :09:59. | :10:01. | |
during the Syria debate that he He does express feeling slightly sad | :10:01. | :10:04. | |
not there, on the political front line to participate. I still do | :10:04. | :10:09. | |
not there, on the political front see why it is in his interest is to | :10:09. | :10:14. | |
move before 2015. No, I don't think he will move before, I think he | :10:14. | :10:17. | |
move before 2015. No, I don't think sending a signal to the existing | :10:17. | :10:17. | |
Tories in the Commons that when sending a signal to the existing | :10:17. | :10:29. | |
Me Dave goes, I will be back? He has the Vince Cable problem, if you | :10:29. | :10:33. | |
Me Dave goes, I will be back? He has the same thing too many times, | :10:33. | :10:36. | |
people get bored and factor it in. The interesting thing is him saying | :10:36. | :10:40. | |
that people have seven years before the electorate get bored of them. He | :10:40. | :10:45. | |
might be cresting that. He doesn't want to be Prime Minister, he is | :10:45. | :10:48. | |
much more ambitious than that. He wants to be an emperor. He was | :10:48. | :10:55. | |
asked, which Roman emperor would you like to be compared to? You said, | :10:55. | :11:02. | |
important. I don't think you are thinking big enough. See what I | :11:02. | :11:09. | |
important. I don't think you are to put up with, every Sunday? By | :11:09. | :11:09. | |
virtue of being born in the US, to put up with, every Sunday? By | :11:09. | :11:14. | |
could be president. Unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger. How about a deal | :11:14. | :11:23. | |
with Boris? He has made no secret, after Eastleigh, that he would be | :11:23. | :11:27. | |
open to a discussion. Let's call it no more than a discussion. He has | :11:27. | :11:31. | |
been adamant, however, he does not see any reason, any justification or | :11:31. | :11:36. | |
any opportunity where he would be able to have that discourse with | :11:36. | :11:42. | |
any opportunity where he would be David Cameron. Maybe it comes down | :11:42. | :11:45. | |
to that on both sides. I've no idea. We know that the Tories will be | :11:45. | :11:49. | |
to that on both sides. I've no idea. more Eurosceptic after the next | :11:49. | :11:52. | |
election? I can't imagine David Cameron's successor will be somebody | :11:52. | :11:56. | |
that supports EU membership in ideological direction of the party. | :11:56. | :12:04. | |
The leadership contest will be about 2018. If you are standing, when | :12:04. | :12:05. | |
this is a great deal for Britain membership, are you going to say | :12:05. | :12:12. | |
this is a great deal for Britain because the Prime Minister has | :12:12. | :12:14. | |
turned to leave rapid change two words in the working Time directive, | :12:14. | :12:17. | |
turned to leave rapid change two or are you going to become a leader | :12:17. | :12:20. | |
by saying, I want out? What would be a good conference for David Cameron | :12:20. | :12:31. | |
eye-catching announcement related to living standards. May be a clearer | :12:31. | :12:36. | |
line on energy prices? That would certainly help, that fightback has | :12:36. | :12:41. | |
been rubbish so far. The thing we should be looking out for are not | :12:41. | :12:44. | |
the polls immediately after, but the ones about the end of October, when | :12:44. | :12:47. | |
everything gets to settle down and then we will see what happens. In a | :12:47. | :12:53. | |
word, what is Nigel Farage out to get at the Tory conference? What is | :12:53. | :12:57. | |
he doing, other than mischief? I could almost say revenge. Revenge on | :12:57. | :13:05. | |
Mr Cameron? Yes. You know? Lord Ashcroft was there at the Labour | :13:05. | :13:11. | |
conference. You call it mischief, but there is every reason why he | :13:11. | :13:15. | |
should be there. We all call it mischief. Thanks for being with | :13:15. | :13:19. | |
should be there. We all call it Join me on Daily Politics for live | :13:19. | :13:22. | |
coverage of the Conservative Party conference tomorrow morning from | :13:22. | :13:25. | |
11:30 on BBC Two. We will bring conference tomorrow morning from | :13:25. | :13:29. | |
George Osborne's speech live and uninterrupted. I'll be back next | :13:29. | :13:33. | |
weekend when guests will include former Conservative Chancellor | :13:33. | :13:34. | |
Kenneth Clarke. Remember, if it former Conservative Chancellor | :13:34. | :13:37. | |
Sunday, it's the Sunday Politics. | :13:37. | :13:40. |