06/04/2014 Sunday Politics South East

Morning folks. Welcome to the Sunday Politics.

Pressure on Culture Secretary Maria Miller mounts as the Tory press

Tory voters and even a Tory Minister turn against her. That's our top

story. The economic outlook is getting

rosier. But Ed Miliband is having none of it. The cost of living

crisis is here to stay, says Labour. Shadow Minister Caroline Flint joins

us for the Sunday Interview. And we bring you the Sunday Politics

Gallery. But which former world leader is behind these paintings of

And in the south`east, it's world leaders?

And in the south`east, it's expensive to live here, so hs a cap

on private rents the answer for the growing number of people prhced out

of the housing market in Brhghton and Hove?

new London borough. A blue flint for regeneration or economic Armageddon?

And with me as always, the best and the brightest political panel in the

business - Janan Ganesh, Helen Lewis and Nick Watt. Their tweets will be

as brief as a Cabinet Minister's apology.

A frenzy of betting on the Grand National yesterday. But there was

one book on which betting was suspended, and that was on the fate

of Culture Secretary Maria Miller, now the 2/1 favourite to be forced

out the Cabinet. She galloped through her apology to the Commons

on Thursday in just 32 seconds. But speed did her no favours. There s

been mounting pressure on her to resign ever since, especially from

Tories. And this weekend the Chairman of the Independent

Parliamentary Standards Authority, Ian Kennedy, said it's time MPs gave

away the power to decide how colleagues who break the rules are

punished. An inquiry into Maria Miller's expenses claims was launch

in 2012, following allegations he claimed ?90,000 to fund a house she

lived in part time with her parents. She had designated this her second

home. She was referred to the Parliamentary Standards

Commissioner, who recommended that she repay ?45,000. But this week the

Commons Standards Committee, comprising of MPs from all parties,

dismissed the complaint against Maria Miller and ordered her to

repay just ?5,800 for inadvertently overclaiming her merge claimants.

She was forced to apologise to the Commons for the legalistic way she

dealt with the complaints against her. But Tony Gallagher told the

Daily Politics on Friday: We got a third call from Craig Oliver who

pointed out, she is looking at Leveson and the call is badly timed.

I think if you are making a series of telephone calls to a newspaper

organisation investigating the conduct of a Cabinet Minister, that

comes close After that interview Craig Oliver

contacted us, saying there was no threat in anyway over Leveson. I

mead it clear at the time. Tony Gallagher is talking rubbish about

me, and you can use that. The Daily Telegraph have released a tape of a

phone call between Maria Miller s aid, Joanna Hindley, and a reporter

investigating her expenses claim. Joanna Hindley said:

Maria's obviously been having quite a lot of editor's meetings around

Leveson at the moment. So I'm just going to kind of flag up that

connection for you to think about. The Prime Minister is sticking by

his Culture Secretary, but this weekend's crescendo of criticism of

her presents him with a problem and he could be wishing Maria Miller

would just fall on her sword. Even over 80% of Tory voters in a Mail on

Sunday poll think she should go On the Andrew Marr Show, the Work and

Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, defended his colleague. I've

known her always to be a reasonable and honest person. But is she doing

the Government or her any good by staying in office at the moment do

you think? This is a matter the Prime Minister has to take

consideration of and she herself. My view generally is I'm supportive of

Maria, because if we are not careful we end one a witch-hunt of somebody.

And I'm joined now by the Conservative MP, Bob Stewart, and

the man in the white suit, former MP and anti-sleaze campaigner Martin

Bell. Welcome to you both. Stuart Stuart sturkts let me put this to

you, a Conservative MP told this programme, this is a quote, she has

handled this appallingly. Downing Street has acted like judge and

jury, for Craig Oliver to get involved is disastrous. She's been

protected by the whips from the start. What do you say to that? It's

not great, is it? The fact of the matter is the question one should

ask is, did she deliberately try to make money? Did she deliberately try

to obscure ate? The answer is she certainly didn't deliberately try to

make money, in the system, which was the old system, and with regard to

obscure ago, I wasn't there, but let's put it this way. She was going

through a quasi-judicial process and might have ended up in court, so she

has a right to defend herself. Hold on o you said she doesn't do it to

make money, she remortgaged the house a couple of times to earn more

interest to us, the taxpayer, and when interest rates went down she

didn't reduce the amount she was charging in expenses. Well, the

point is the adjudicator said there was ?45,000 she was owed. And then a

committee, Standards Committee, said actually it should be reduced. That

was mainly MPs but there are three lay members. Yes, but they don't

have the vote. OK, fine, that is where it is wrong and we've got to

get it sorted. Let me put another quote from our Conservative MP. He

didn't want to be named. None of you do at the moment. I'm being named.

But you are backing her. George young in cahoots. He's been leading

on the Standards Committee to find her innocent. The Standards

Committee is unfit for purpose. I think the Standards Committee should

be revisited. I think the system is still evolving. And I think actually

we ought to have totally independent judgment on MPs' pay and allowances.

We haven't have not got there yet and that is where it is wrong.

Martin Bell, have MPs interfered in the Maria Miller process and with

the current Standards Commissioner in the same way that they saw off a

previous Commissioner they thought was too independent? Andrew it is

exactly the same. Yesterday I looked at a diary entry I made for May

2000, I said, dreadful meeting standards and privileges, they are

playing party politics. One of them told Elizabeth fill kin to her face

the gossip in the tea room was she had gone crazy. Nothing's changed.

What this shows is most of all, what's the committee for? If it is

just going to rubber stamp what the party wants and its mates, I don't

see any point. But it hasn't rubber stamped. It's changed it. Well, it

has watered down. That's why we should make it totally independent

and it shouldn't be involved in the House of Commons. It is plus plus ca

change isn't it? MPs', scandal, and MPs closing ranks for one of their

own. Has the Commons learned nothing? And this is after the

expenses scandal, where everything was out for everybody to see, you

would think MPs would be careful. This is before the expenses scandal.

We are looking at an historical event, during your time, Martin not

mine. I'm clean on this. You campaigned for him as an

independent. I did, he was a good friend of mine. And now you've

joined the club. And now you are defending Maria Miller? I'm

defending someone who hasn't been proved guilty of anything beyond the

fact she was rather slow to come forward with evidence. My point on

that, is I understand that. MPs are being lambasted the whole time these

days. There were a heck of a lot of them, Martin, who are utterly

decent. She didn't try to make money. We've just been through that.

I don't think that's right. The jury is out on that. What should have

happened in the Miller case, Martin Bell? I don't think there should be

a committee on standards. I think the Commissioner should make a

report. There has been to be justice for the MP complained against. Then

the committee of the whole House can consider it. But we are, the House

of Commons, then as now is incapable of regulating itself. That's been

proving yet again. She made a perfunctory apology. She threatened

and instructed the Standards Commissioner investigating her, and

her special adviser linked expenses to Leveson, when trying to stop the

Daily Telegraph from publishing I mean, is that the behaviour of a

Cabinet Minister? Well, it's probably not the behaviour of

someone that's got time on their hands. She's a very busy Cabinet

Minister. Well, she had enough time to write lots of letters to the

Standards Commission ser. She felt under such threat. She had the time.

She had to make the time. Die know the lady is not trying desperately

to make money. I disagree but on that. The fact of the matter is

this was an old, old system, that we've tried to put right, or the

Commons has tried to put right. I agree that MPs shouldn't get

involved in this. Should we get rid of this committee? It serves no

purpose except to cause trouble The adjudicator has said that and it

should be the end of it. It shouldn't come back to the Commons.

Although her special adviser threatened them over Leveson she was

and is the Minister responsible for trying to introduce something like

Leveson and that is something a big chunk that the press doesn't want.

She is a target. It has a good record on this issue. It played wit

a straight bat. The facts aren't in dispute are they? Will she make it

to the next cabinet reshuffle and then go? Iain Duncan Smith said it

is a matter for the Prime Minister. In my view, as things stand, I

question did she deliberately want to make money? I don't think she

did. Should she go? No. Should she be reshuffled? I don't know.

Goodness me, you are asking someone who will never be reshuffled,

because he will never make it. I was only asking for your opinion, not

your ability to do it. This is a problem for Cameron isn't it? It is

a problem for Cameron. There is nothing wrong with returning to be

badge benches, as you know. Hear, hear. To that. Stick with me. Helen,

can she survive? Is I'm going out of the prediction game when I said

Clegg is going to win the date, so I owe Janan a tenner on that one.

Grant Shapps has supported her. She was ringed by Sir George young and

Jeremy Hunt... This is pretty devastating. On past form David

Cameron hates having to bounce people out of the cabinet. He will

want to keep Maria Miller until the summer reshuffle. This is a question

mark on whether she survive this is. This isn't damaging to the

Conservative or the Labour Party, it is damaging to everyone. This is

catastrophic damage to the entire political establishment. Every

single speech that David Cameron and Ed Miliband have given since 20 9,

talking about restoring trust, they can wipe them from their computers,

because voters are going to look that there and say, this lot haven't

learnt anything. They are giving perfunctory apologies and then you

have MPs sitting in judgment on MPs and rather than paying back ?45 000,

she pays back ?5,800 after MPs have been into it. Damage is huge. Just

getting rid of one Cabinet Minister, you will need to do more than that.

You will notice that Labour haven't made huge weather of this. No,

goodness me, they have their own skeletons. Exactly. The person who

has made hay out of this is Nigel Farage, who has not been backwards

in coming forward. He doesn't seem to care about skeletons. The Prime

Minister has be-Gunby backing her, but that's not popular even with

Tory voters. How does he get out of this? This is the problem for him.

Five years ago his reaction to the expenses scandal was seen by many

Tory backbenchers as excessive. They felt hung out to dry by a man who is

independently wealthy. To go from that to making a special exemption

to Maria Miller because it is politically suitable is more

incendiary and provocative. It is not just upsetting the voters and

the Daily Telegraph but a good number of people behind him. I think

they will get rid of her. I think the Government, to paraphrase

Churchill, will zoo the decent thing after exhausting all options, of the

European elections a reshuffle. The culture department has gone from a

baulk water in haul to one of the most politically sensational jobs

because of its proximity to the Leveson issue. She has to be

replaced by someone Lily skillful and substantial. Mr Cameron is not

short of smart women? Nikki Morgan, the education department, these are

absolutely outstanding women and the problem that the generation elected

in 2005, Maria Miller generation, there are some really good people

elected in 2010. You are not responsible for hacking into the

culture Department's Twitter account last night? I was out at the time!

They all say that! One so, Maria Miller is like a modern-day Robin

Hood... She robs the poor to help the rich. Which one of us has not

embezzled the taxpayer? I reckon it is the lady. You have the perfect

cover. We would not know how to would we? You cannot tweet from a

mobile device, can you? Play it safe. No, do something dramatic

Have lots of pledges. Have just a few pledges. Ah, there must be a

Labour policy review reaching its conclusion because everyone has some

free advice for the party about its message and the man delivering it.

Here's Adam. He is well liked by the public don't quite buy him as a

leader. The papers say he is in hock to the unions and the party has a

lead in the polls but it is not solid. Bartenders Neil Kinnock. That

is what they said Winnie who lost the 1982 election. The whole country

deserves better and we will work to ensure that the day will come when

with the Labour government, the country will get better. Someone who

was there can see some spooky parallels. The important lesson from

1992 is it cannot rest on your laurels and hope for the best, you

cannot sit on a lead of seven points because the election narrows that

and you cannot rely on the government not getting its act

together because the Conservative Party was well funded and organised,

the double whammy posters, the tax bombshell, but incredibly effective

and the message was unified and they beat us on the campaign. The lesson

for Labour today is this lead will evaporate quite possibly over the

next few months and we might go into the election behind in the polls.

But Ed Miliband is getting conflicting advice about how to

avoid 1992 happening. Be bold, be cautious and then, the idea that

Labour can squeak into office with just 35% of the vote, which worries

some people. Each month, the Labour Party meets around the country and

last week, everybody spoke about the dangers of this 35% strategy. They

were increasingly unhappy and it is very important that those people

around the leader naturally have a duty to protect him and they make

sure he gets this message that while there is total support for him, they

do want this key year in the run-up to the General Election to be

putting out an alternative which we can defend on the doorstep. The

doorstep where Neil Kinnock made his concession speech is crammed with

Spanish back hackers. The old Labour offices are no a budget hostel.

Labour headquarters is down the road and they are putting the finishing

touches to a speech Ed Miliband will give this week about the cost of

living and I am told he will drop hints about new policies in juicy

areas like housing, low pay, growth and devolving power. As for the

charge that they are not radical enough, his people say they want to

be bold but they have to be credible as well. They say that Labour is

more united than it has ever been but there has been some grumbling

that the cost of living campaign is not the same as a vision for the

country. And that Ed Miliband was not statesman-like enough at Prime

Minister's Questions and one figure who sat at the same table in the

Neil Kinnock years summed it up like this. Things are OK but it feels

like we're playing for the draw Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline

Flint joins me now for the Sunday Interview. This 35% victory

strategy, it does not sound very ambitious? I am campaigning to win

this election with a majority government and everybody else around

the table is also. But we want to go to every corner of the country and

win votes for Labour and win seats, that is what we are working towards.

To avoid last time, the coalition bartering. But that 35% is a victory

strategy so are you saying there is no 35% strategy and that no one at

the heart of Labour is not arguing for this? We are working to win

around the country and to win all of those battle ground seats and we

must have a strategy that appeals to a cross-section of the public but

within that, that broad group Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and. You

could do that with 35% of the vote? There is lots of polling and

everyone looks at this about what we need to do to get seats and we want

to have a comprehensive majority at the next election to win to govern

this country. Last week, we have been reading reports of splits in

the party over policy and on tactics, even strategy. A struggle

for control of the General Election manifesto, we are told. What are you

arguing over? I said on the committee and just listening to the

film before, it is about being radical but also credible and we are

talking about evolution and that is an important subject but we are also

united and to be honest, in 201 people were writing us off saying we

would turn on ourselves and that has not been the case. We are not

arguing about the fundamentals, we are discussing the policies that are

coming up with different colleagues and talking about how we can make

sure they are presented to the public and that is part of a

process. That is a discussion, not disagreement. The Financial Times,

which is usually pretty fair, reports a battle between Ed

Miliband's radical instincts and the more business fiscal conservatism of

Ed Balls. What side are you on? I am for radical change, I am for energy

and I believe strongly we must be formed the market and people might

portray that as anti-business but this is about more competition and

transparency and others coming into this market so our policy on this is

radical, not excepting the status quo. It is also for business.

Opinion polls show that few people regard Ed Miliband as by Minister

material -- Prime Minister material. That has been true since he became

leader. And in some cases, they have been getting worse. Why is that

Opinion polls say certain things about the personalities of leaders,

David Cameron is not great either. And they were not great when he was

in opposition. At this stage, he was getting 49% as Prime Minister real

material and Ed Miliband, 19. - Prime Minister material. When you

look at certain questions that the public is asked about who you think

you would trust about being fair in terms of policy towards Britain who

understands the cost of living crisis, they very much identify with

Ed Miliband. We are ahead in the polls. Ed Miliband has made that

happen. We have one more councillors, we have been running in

by-elections and we have held this government over the barrel over six

months on energy prices. That is to do with his leadership. The more

that voters save him, the less they seem convinced. In 2011, he had been

leader for one year, and only 1 % regarded him as weird, by 2014, that

was 41%. Look at that! Look at that weirdness! What people need is to

know where the Labour Party stands on fundamental issues. And in those

areas, particularly the cost of living and fairness and people being

concerned that we are entering into a period where people will be worse

for the first time ever at the end of the Parliament, these things are

important and Ed Miliband is part of our success. Definitely. I think

this is ridiculous, to be fair, he is not a politician that says, I am

dying with the Arctic monkeys, I know who is the number one. He did

not play that game. -- down. He is not either there to portray himself

as someone who was with the children, I know everything about

popular culture. His authenticity is the most important thing. People do

not think he is authentic, unless they think we were at is authentic.

Is it true that his staff applaud him when he comes back after giving

even a mediocre speech? I have never heard that. I have never heard about

him being applauded. And I am pleased to applaud him with he makes

speeches, I have given him a standing ovation. You have to do

that because the cameras are rolling! No, he made a good speech.

Five minutes without notes. It took a long time to memorise I don't

blame him! The cost of living. Focusing on that, it has paid

dividends. But inflation is falling and perhaps collapsing, unemployment

is falling faster than anybody thought, as we can see. Wages are

rising, soon faster than prices Retail sales are booming, people

have got money in their pockets Isn't the cost of living crisis

narrative running out of steam? I do not think so and I should say that I

welcome any sign of positive changes in the economy, if anybody gets a

job in Doncaster, I am pleased by the end of this Parliament families

will be over ?900 worse off because of tax and benefit changes and the

working person is ?1600 worse off and it is the first government since

the 1870s where people will be at the end of the Parliament. We

believe the government made wrong choices that lead the rich off at

the expense of those on middle and lower incomes. -- let the rich. The

average family ?794 worse off from tax and benefit changes. That has

been backed up. They are those figures. But he has skewed these

figures by including the richest, where the fall in tax and the

penalty they pay is highest. If you take away the richest, it is nowhere

near that figure. Everybody agrees and even the government and

knowledges that at the end of their tenure in Parliament, people will be

worse off. 350,000 extra people who would desperately like full-time

work who are working part-time and 1 million young people unemployed and

the reason the cost of living has a residence is people feel that. I was

in a supermarket and at Doncaster and someone summed this up, he said

I work hard and at the end of the week, beyond paying bills, I have

got nothing else. If you take away the top 10% who are losing over

?600,000, the average loss comes down to around ?400, less than half

of what you claim. That figure is totally misleading. These are the

figures from the IFS. It still shows... Whatever way you shape

this, people will still be worse off, families worse off because of

these changes to tax and benefits and working people because wages

have not kept up with prices. Your energy portfolio, you back the

enquiry into the big six companies and you intend to go ahead with the

price freeze and reconfigure the market even before it reports. If

you win, this is a waste of time? Whilst we have had this process

before the announcement, we always feel if it goes that way, there

might be areas we have not thought of that the enquiry will also draw

attention to that we might want to add on. You are right, our basic

reforms for the new regulator, to separate generation supply, we will

pursue that. What happens if this report concludes that your plans are

not correct? You will still go ahead? I don't think so. Actually,

if you look at the report that Ofgem produced, some of the issues Labour

has been drawing attention to like vertical integration, they cover

that. I was asking about the Competition Commission? The report

last week is a result of working together and I think it is clearly

accepted in this sector, look at SSE last week, they will separate the

business. We are pushing at the open door. It has already pulled out of

gas. So it follows if you freeze energy prices across the market it

might be the right thing to do but there will be a cost in terms of

jobs and investment, correct? Well, I met with SSE last weekand the

chief executive and talked about these issues. The jobs changes are

partly about them looking at how they could be more efficient as a

company. On offshore wind that wasn't really to do with the price

freeze. That was more to do with issues around confidence in that

area and therefore willing to put the money into it, as well as

technical issues as well But there'll be job losses. Is that a

price worth paying? We believe the reason we are having a price freeze

is these companies have been overcharging customers and haven't

been investing in their organisations and making them more

efficient. I do not believe a price freeze is linked to job losses.

These companies do need to be more efficient. Goal for all of us is

realising the fantastic opportunity for more jobs and growth from an

energy sector that has certainty going forward. That's what Labour

will deliver. Caroline Flint, thank you.

It's 1130 and you're watching The Sunday Politics. We say goodbye to

viewers in Scotland, who leave us now for Sunday Politics Scotland.

Coming up here in Hello. I'm Julia George and this is

the Sunday Politics in the South East. Coming up later... Cotld

people who can't afford to buy their own homes decide key seats `t the

general election? It's a growing group, so which party has the most

attractive housing policy to sway Generation Rent? Joining me in the

studio today, two politicians who are hoping to begin their

parliamentary careers next xear Clarence Mitchell is the

Conservatives' candidate for Brighton Pavilion and Trist`n

Osborne will stand in Chath`m and Aylesford for Labour at the general

election. Welcome to you both. There's nothing more dispirhting for

commuters than the sign that reads "rail replacement service". Well,

the buses have finally been banished on the Hastings line after lonths of

delays between Roberstsbridge and Battle. Rail travel in the South

East can be frustrating and expensive, but improvements may be

in the pipeline for people `t the end of the line. Hastings MP Amber

Rudd held a rail summit on Londay. Her prize ` she says she has secured

an absolute commitment from Network Rail and the Secretary of State for

Transport to support a proposal to bring High Speed one to the East

Sussex Coast. Here's Patrick McLoughlin. I think it would be

transformational. What we are seeing is a regeneration of how important

the railways are to our country and certainly Amber Rudd has bedn making

the case very strongly that this service, which goes to Ashford,

should extend to Hastings, `nd I think it's looking like a f`irly

positive case. It's not exactly the same language we heard Amber Rudd

using but let's look at High Speed 1 to Hastings. It's not a new idea. I

can find references online `s far back as 2005. Will High Spedd 1 ever

go to Hastings? That is a m`tter for the secretary of state and Network

Rail to decide. There is a lassive need for greater arterial

connections between not just Hastings but all the South Coast.

The Brighton mainline is effectively full and you can put as manx trains

on all these lines but it won't make much difference unless therd is

capacity there. You need new lines. But there are alternatives. As part

of a ?2.3 billion investment in the south`east, Network Rail will make

improvements between Ashford and Hastings. There is also a long`term

campaign for nonstop express services on the current Charing

Cross to Hastings line, and there is the Hastings to Brighton rotte,

which could be improved, so is High Speed 1 really the best opthon given

how much it would cost? We're witnessing the greatest

modernisation of the railwax systems since Victorian times and p`rt of

that would be imaginative ideas like this. You can't afford all of them,

can you? A lot of it can be done with proper assessment of the needs

and budgets concerned. For hnstance, we would argue there is a good case

for a second mainline from Brighton up to Uckfield and back but network

rail needs to concentrate on places like East Croydon. That will open up

the capacity and enable these greater services because thd trains

are overcrowded, passengers aren't happy with increased fares, and

things need to be done. Tristan the existing High Speed 1 route, how

much would you say it has bdnefited Kent, especially the towns ht goes

through? I am a commuter myself I commute to London every day and High

Speed 1 was delivered under a Labour government so we supported that But

has it brought the rewards for people? Yes. The Medway towns have

developed and as a result of it businesses have chosen to invest.

The issue is fares. You pay more to travel on High Speed 1 than on

normal commuter services and people in Medway are spending ?3700 to

commute annually. In Dover, that's ?5000, and in Hastings it's over

?4500. Simply unaffordable. We will come to money again. You ard getting

a new station in Medway at Rochester. You must be delighted. I

am. It follows the developmdnt of Janine station in 2009. We have seen

investment on the railways since Hatfield. I mentioned the money for

real improvements in the south`east, it sounds a lot but it

is only a small part of a pot of ?38 billion from Network Rail. We are a

massive commuter area. Are we getting our fair share? If xou take

into account the needs of the rest of the country, it is going in the

right direction. You could do with more money but this has been thought

through, 16 of that is coming from government and you need to

prioritise but the south`east has massive need. Tristan talk `bout

fares from Hastings, there `re similar fares from Brighton. Faster

trains is one, cheaper trains is also what people want. Labotr was

considering a price freeze on commuter routes in the next

election. I bet you would love to be able to offer that? Cost of living

is an issue for my residencd. I think we need to look at prhce

freezes and our franchise sxstem, a not`for`profit franchise model and a

better redress system so people are compensated for the constant delays

we are seeing on southern and South`eastern Trains. That hs

unacceptable. Price freezes, that is one thing you would like to offer.

Now, it's one of the most costly places in the UK to live, and it's

becoming even more expensivd. Brighton and Hove has seen huge

increases in house prices, `nd if you can't afford to buy, well, you

can always rent. But privatd tenants in the city are now paying `round a

third more for flats and hotses than in 2010. So is it time to control

rents? It's an idea supportdd by the Greens on Brighton and Hove City

Council. Sara Neville reports. Home for Alice McNair, her partner

Dan and their two children hs a basement flat in Brighton. Like

thousands of people in the south`east, they are caught in a

rental trap. They both rent but still rely on help from housing

benefit to cover their costs. It was very hard to find someone whthin our

price range and hard to find anywhere cheaper than where we had

before. This property happens to be about ?250 cheaper per month than

the average for a three`bedroom property. Each month we are having

to go into more debt. We have debt repayment on top of bills. @round

30% of people rent privatelx in Brighton, twice the national

average, and the cost of renting has gone up a third since 2010. The City

Council says prices are spiralling out of control and it is calling on

the Government to intervene by introducing a cap on the amount by

which landlords can increasd their rents. Private renting is bdcoming

unaffordable for a lot of pdople and the biggest cause of homelessness we

have is people not being able to meet private sector rents, so we are

suggesting a sort of smart rent system which already happens in

countries like Spain and Fr`nce and Germany, where tenancies ard let for

three or five years rather than six months at the moment, and dtring the

period of that time, rents can only go up by inflation. Brighton is now

one of the most expensive places in the country to buy and to rdnt. 20%

of people run the minimum w`ge. Estate agents think house prices

will drop by 32% in the next five years. Currently social housing in

the city is around ?360 per month versus an average of ?959 pdr month

for private tenants. More pdople are renting homes than ever before and

it's not just students for xoung people, now it is millions of

professionals, over 30s and families, people who are more likely

to vote. One campaign group says MPs cannot afford to ignore rent payers

and if they do, they could risk losing their seats. In a new report,

generation rent, formerly the National private tenants

Association, said at in a poll of renters over 35% claim to bd

floating voters. In some kex marginal seats, the group s`ys it is

those people who could infltence the outcome of next year's general

election. All three Brighton and Hove MPs are on generation rent s

campaign hit list of 86 marginal constituencies where MPs ard

potentially in the firing lhne, plus two more elsewhere in the

south`east. This ballooning population of people are in terrible

conditions, two thirds of them would rather own their own home that have

no chance of saving up a deposit, yet a third of them are choosing

whether to eat properly, he`t their homes or pay rent. Nationwide

mobilisation of private sector renters, the parties need a national

register of landlords, to lhcense letting agents to make sure the real

corrupt people are not able to take advantage of people in the way they

do. Alison is happy where she is, but the Coalition Government's Help

To Buy scheme would be out of her reach. Traditionally a Labotr

supporter, she feels politicians are not listening to people likd her.

She is undecided about which way to vote next year. I would be lying if

I said I was voting near thd coalition that I am floating away

from Labour, perhaps towards other parties. The notion of a lilit on

how much landlords can incrdase their rents is just one ide` that

could help families like Alhce and Dan, but with growing waiting lists

for social housing and a massive shortfall of homes in the

south`east, wouldn't really be enough to ease the squeeze the

rental market? `` would it really be enough to ease the squeeze on the

rental market? Joining us now is Mary Mears. She's on the Hotsing

Committee on Brighton and Hove City Council. Thanks for joining us,

Councillor Mears. We talked about writing and Hove rents up a third

since 2010 and you heard Alhce McNair is getting further into debt

with her young family and s`ys politicians are not listening to

people like her. She is watching this, will you tell her there is

nothing you can do for her? I think there are a lot of options local

authorities can do. One problem around rent control, it has been

tried under a previous Labotr government and they estimatd of the

cost was ?300 million per ydar, which is excessive. Local

authorities, especially in Brighton and Hove, we are squeezed and have a

large student population and we have nearly 19,000 on our waiting list,

which has doubled since 2008. We have looked at her own houshng on

our own housing land in administration, we did a lot of work

around regeneration and in still on our own land about increasing

housing numbers. But staring you in the face is something simpld to

green authorities would likd to do but you opposed the rent cap. One of

the real concerns, house prhces have risen 14% last year in Brighton and

the main concern, and it has been proved before, is that actu`lly if

it goes, if you put too much red tape around landlords, they get

squeezed even more and you have less for parties in the city to rent A

few of them sell up but that bursts the housing bubble, which is

catastrophic in Brighton. You have a 47% increase in prices in the last

ten years, would it be so awful prices drop a little? It is a

housing market and are pleased to be outside London and we are spueezed.

I do not leave by putting more pressure on landlords it will solve

the problem. It could incre`se the problem. One thing local authorities

have under the 2004 housing act is control over rogue landlords and

councils have the power to do that. But nothing to control how luch they

charge. Thank you for joining us. Tristan Osborne, you said on the

programme today you would advocate a freeze on rail prices. Your party is

selling a freeze on energy prices for a year after the next election,

so would you like to see a freeze on these excessive rent prices? I am

part of generation rent, I have friends of mine who have yotng

families and it is clear we cannot afford to get on the housing ladder.

So would you vote for a cap on escalating rents? We are looking at

rate indexation at present. We will build 200,000 new homes bec`use it

did to supply issue that is the main problem. What do you mean bx rent

indexation? Is that some control of private rent? This will not be a

cap. It is looking at long`term rental agreements between tdnants

and landlords, ensuring we have a national landlord register so

standard `` so standards will be in maintained but it is looking at

tenancy over time. So longer tendencies and during the pdriod of

that tenancy, rents would bd pegged to inflation. That sounds lhke

rent`controlled to me. Depending on which part of inflation you look at.

This would be sensible and would make sure people were not priced out

of their properties but we need more properties so we have committed to

200,000 new properties per xear We need to ensure councils across Kent

are looking at affordable housing. Building houses is long`terl but

today we are looking at the short`term issue of people getting

into debt. We are hearing from Labour, it is rent control of a

sort, a modern sort, Clarence Mitchell, what is wrong with that?

This is talking about state interference in that market. And the

problem is what? We sought hn the 70s. It chokes up the supplx. Even

if it is more sophisticated, landlords will decide not to rent or

push what prices they can opt to that cap or they simply will sell.

So we simply say to people H am sorry... No, affordable housing is

up PRT for my campaign. It hs up problem. I am not underestilating

the difficulties young people find in being able to rent, which is

quite your helping in terms of the harder decisions which have helped

the national economy to recover and delivering systems such as Help To

Buy. Help To Buy is a joke hn Brighton. Do you know how m`ny

people have used it? Over 17,00 across the country. For people in

Brighton, for households in Brighton under the main aspects of Hdlp To

Buy. It is not appealing a ddition which will help people like Alice.

The principle of assisting people where we can does there. Thdy

clearly do not want it. We `re trying to make living stand`rds rise

through the recovery of the economy so that filters into people's hey,

where their wages begin to outstrip prices and that hopefully whll

happen before the next election and in the meantime we will do what we

can to address problems in the rental sector, and I agree with what

was being said about dealing with rogue landlords, better inspection

and licensing. Yours is one of the kids is that could be at risk,

Clarence. What do you say to people who could vote their? You could win,

currently it is a dream, Caroline Lucas is there and the Greens are

endorsing this so that is a vote winner for her. I do not accept the

premise that rent sector alone will damage the voting maths in Brighton

Pavilion. There are too manx other issues. The council and its dire

performance for its ideologhcal and leave policies is thoroughlx

unpopular. Their activities will damage them. Do you think housing

will be key in Chatham and Aylesford? Housing is key across the

region. 200,000 new homes. We are looking at a rent indexation. We are

looking at a national land register and our councils will be endorsing

that even if we are not in government. We need to sort out this

housing crisis and it is our policy that will deliver. Housing will be

fascinating when we come to the general election next year. And now

for a round`up of the other political events that you mhght have

missed this week with James Fitzgerald.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson says he would close Heathrow enthrely in

his bid to land a new airport in the Thames Estuary. North Kent could

be... Galvanised, suddenly, by a new hub airport plus logistics.

And in the week Lydd Airport began its expansion, a bid for thd

endangered Manston Airport was withdrawn. MP Roger Gale wants the

Government to step in. In politics, you continually have to fight things

that superficially might fedl like lost causes.

Following this South East Today footage of migrants trying to stow

away on Dover`bound lorries, French politicians have admitted the need

for a crackdown. Five peopld have died in the last two months

attempting to enter the UK illegally.

The Government is compensathng those flooded over the winter but some

residents of Yalding, like this woman, who confronted David Cameron,

said it's... Way too little, way too late.

Community funding is helping one pier rise from the ashes after a

fire in 2010. The Hastings Pier Share Scheme raised over ?500,0 0 in

six months. We will get to that if we h`ve time,

but first, one airport closhng and ideas for another one opening. It

sounds perverse. No one wants this Tory airport in north Kent `nd I

think both Boris Johnson and David Cameron need to reject this. Is it a

Tory airport? No, it is an `irport that will help one of the most

competitive countries in Europe You think this should go to Kent. I am a

firm fan of Boris Island, I think it has potential. And so many Tories

are and that is a real problem, would you not want this. We will

have some information about the Euro referendum. Something you would get

people to investing in your constituencies. Any vote should go

to the homeless charities to get people off the streets. That is all

we have time for this week. Likely to get. I am back next week.

Dobson. Tim Donovan is back in the chair next week. And with that, back

to Andrew. Welcome back and time now to get more from our panel. So they

can justify their meagre patents. This cost of living mantra will last

all the way until the election. Cannot? Ed Miliband leaves he is

onto something and for most of this Parliament, inflation has

outstripped wages. That is going to go the other way and wages will

rise, to which you say Ed Miliband has nothing to say. He says if you

think people are going to feel better in the blink of an eye, you

are a Conservative and do not understand the depth of this and he

is taking the message from a presidential election in America in

2012 and make Romney was ahead on some of the economic indicators but

Barack Obama was ahead on the key one, do you believe this candidate

will make your family's life better? The message that Ed Miliband

will try to say is the next election is about whose side are you on? And

he believes Labour will be on the side of more voters than

conservatives. It would be crazy for Labour not to talk about the cost of

living because even if wages exceed inflation next year, it is not as if

voters will walk around feeling like Imelda Marcos, they will still feel

as if they were struggling and not just compared... Retail sales are

slowing? That is not the sign of palpable disparity. Circumstances

are better than three years ago but not better than five years ago. The

Reagan question will still be employed, are you better off than at

the last election? But things in America were actually getting worse

when he asked that. I covered that election, that is why it resonated

and they did get worse. The Ayatollah had quadrupled the price

of oil. This is based on things getting relatively better, after a

very long wait, so the cost of living critique will have to adapt?

It will but it gets out of a very sticky spot and the IFS says wages

will not outstrip inflation and by that time they can start talking

about other things, plans for the railways and tuition fees and at the

moment, everything is up for grabs. Labour know that every time they

talk about something they want to do, the question is, how do you pay

for it? They can talk about the economy and they don't have

substantial things to say. Is it true that Mr Iain Duncan Smith was

going to make a major announcement on benefit cheats? Or something to

do with that this morning? But he decided against it because of the

tobacco over Maria Miller? It would be very odd to go on to The Andrew

Marr Show to have a chat and see what he is having for lunch. Patrick

went from the Guardian said he was going to set out higher financial

penalty phase for providing inaccurate information in claims.

This is a bad day to do that, given that MP expenses are treated far

more lenient the than any one from Joe public. That would be

fascinating, if true. And he is making a very big speech on well for

tomorrow and this tweet from Patrick went at the Guardian, he has proper

sized on welfare matters and he tends to know what is going on. But

it would be deeply unfortunate if that was the message today. How can

he make a speech that has anything about cracking down on benefit

claimants? Not today but I am not sure tomorrow. Do you get the

impression that nobody in both main parties is very confident of winning

in 2015? I column last week said the result, the most likely result from

one year on is another hung parliament and which government

results from that depends on the mathematical specifics of whether

the Tories can do a deal as well as Labour, leaving everything in the

hands of Nick Clegg or whether one party can do a straightforward deal

but I do not detect any sense of exuberance or confidence in either

camp. And the Tories are still shooting themselves over losing the

boundary commission reforms because that was going to net them 20 seats

and they lost that because they messed up the House of Lords reform

and there are still furious with themselves. The former US President,

George W Bush, has been a busy boy and here at the Sunday Politics we

thought you'd like to see the results of his artistic endeavours.

Time for the gallery. I was a prize to find myself saying,

some of these are not bad! -- surprised. Vladimir Putin? I like

the one of Tony Blair but his early ones of dogs, to be in the presence

of the master is to see his portrait of a Joanne Love. He is not of the

Turner prize but I was surprised. He gets the mask of Vladimir Putin

also Tony Blair. I was impressed that he did not allow personal or

political grudges to influence his artwork. Jacques Chirac, he comes

out of this incredibly well! And Angela Merkel comes out

astonishingly well. Quite generous as well. Tony Blair is the best one

and the reason is he had the closest relationship with them and he has

talked about this portrait, saying he was quite fond of him and you can

see that. These are awful, they would not get you an A-level but you

must admire him to have the guts to do this, and display them publicly!

An A-level? Just doing joined up numbers gets you that these days!

What do you do when you retire? This is less embarrassing than some of

the other things people have done. As good as Churchill? I don't

know... No! Churchill was brilliant! And on that! That's all for today.

Tune into BBC Two every day at lunchtime this week for the Daily

Politics. And we'll be back at the later time of 2:30pm next Sunday

after the London Marathon. Remember, if it's Sunday, it's the Sunday

Politics. International teams searching for

the missing Malaysian airliner are investigating three electronic

signals received in the southern Indian Ocean. It's thought they may

come from the black box flight recorder - 13 ships are now in the

area. Continuing controversy over