:01:26. > :01:30.In the South: Bikers are gearing up to oppose EU plans to stop them
:01:30. > :01:40.modifying their bikes - they say it would take away the freedom that's
:01:40. > :01:40.
:01:40. > :35:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2001 seconds
:35:01. > :35:04.Welcome to Sunday Politics South, my name's Peter Henley. In the next
:35:04. > :35:06.20 minutes: Why it could be far from easy
:35:06. > :35:11.riding if EU plans to outlaw bikers' modifications to their
:35:11. > :35:15.machines come into force. Riders and politicians are revving up for
:35:15. > :35:18.a fight. More on that shortly. First though,
:35:18. > :35:20.let's meet the two politicians who'll be with me for the next 20
:35:20. > :35:23.minutes. Damian Hinds is the conservative MP for East Hampshire,
:35:23. > :35:25.and Gerald Vernon-Jackson is the Liberal Democrat leader of
:35:25. > :35:28.Portsmouth City Council, who generously stepped into the breach
:35:28. > :35:38.when the city's Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock had to go into hospital
:35:38. > :35:43.unexpectedly on Thursday for heart surgery. Thank you. I am seeing him
:35:43. > :35:47.later tonight so will pass on your best wishes. Also, we have had a
:35:47. > :35:52.lot of rain that has caused trouble for the Isle of Wight festival. In
:35:52. > :35:56.Portsmouth he have had to do special things to look after people.
:35:56. > :36:03.We opened the common up to were used as an overspill car park so
:36:03. > :36:06.that people caught with a -- without being able to get to the
:36:06. > :36:11.island had somewhere to stay. It seems like the least we could do
:36:11. > :36:15.when the weather is so terrible and the queues are appalling. On the
:36:15. > :36:19.island, it does seem a little bit like things have fallen apart. Is
:36:19. > :36:24.it that we are getting worse weather or less able to cope with
:36:24. > :36:28.it? It seems we are having very violent swings in the whether these
:36:28. > :36:35.days which is difficult to cope with. As a nation we are pretty
:36:35. > :36:39.resilient. Perhaps we are giving up much more easily. The swings from
:36:39. > :36:45.the good to the back and back again do seem to be more often and bigger
:36:45. > :36:50.swings. And probably, with global warming we will get more of this.
:36:50. > :36:52.So we probably have to spend more money to be prepared. Emergency
:36:53. > :36:55.planning is important. We learned this week that Education
:36:55. > :36:57.Secretary Michael Gove is getting ready to scrap GCSE exams and
:36:58. > :37:00.replace them with O-level style qualifications instead. GCSEs were
:37:00. > :37:02.introduced in the mid 1980s, by another Conservative education
:37:03. > :37:07.secretary as it happens, and if they're ditched it'll be the
:37:07. > :37:13.biggest exams upheaval for a generation. Joining me now is Pete
:37:13. > :37:18.Sopowski from the National Union of Teachers.
:37:18. > :37:24.Would you say that, I mean it is a rotten time for this to have been
:37:24. > :37:28.leaked. It will cause problems for pupils worrying about it? That is
:37:28. > :37:32.one of the concerns that everybody who has commentated has said. About
:37:32. > :37:40.time while students are doing exams. Normally be get this wants results
:37:40. > :37:46.are released. We think it is very bad timing. I have of the one that
:37:46. > :37:50.which I can expand on. You think it was political? I think it was to
:37:50. > :37:53.knock the doctors' strike of the top line of the headlines, but that
:37:54. > :37:58.is my view. It has come from somewhere and it is pretty
:37:58. > :38:02.deliberate. We will talk to our guests about that. On the substance
:38:02. > :38:07.of it, perhaps because of league tables and pressure on schools,
:38:07. > :38:13.competition between exam boards, the exams are getting easier,
:38:13. > :38:18.aren't they? Our would not agree with you. People are getting higher
:38:18. > :38:25.marks, maybe they are better at it? Could that not be that teachers are
:38:25. > :38:29.working hard and standards are rising? Why are the exams not
:38:29. > :38:33.increasing with that. He it may be that the GCSE system needs looking
:38:33. > :38:39.at. Maybe there is a need for review because I have had very
:38:39. > :38:45.bright pupils who have cracked or even the higher-level papers in
:38:45. > :38:49.year 10. They maybe need for further review. Actually, if
:38:49. > :38:53.children are going to stay in education until 18, do we need an
:38:53. > :38:59.exam at 16? We need to think about this much more carefully rather
:39:00. > :39:06.than it being O-levels at 16. would like change? Change is always
:39:06. > :39:11.needed. The unions and everybody else. There are plenty of head
:39:11. > :39:15.teachers coming back on that GCSEs. I think this is up for debate and
:39:15. > :39:21.there is quite a lot of people making a lot of comment now, but it
:39:21. > :39:25.is up for debate. I am sure that Michael go for have does it explain
:39:25. > :39:29.himself again rather than blunder through with a plan. I don't think
:39:30. > :39:34.he is able to do that. There is fierce opposition even from the
:39:34. > :39:41.headmaster's Conference at private schools. They do not want to see
:39:41. > :39:45.CSC comeback. Why do you think it has been leaked? Do you think it
:39:46. > :39:49.was a on a poster the ideas that make them? Quite often the
:39:49. > :39:54.Department for Education release things via the usual channel like
:39:54. > :39:59.giving a leaked to the Daily Mail. It is kind of what they do. Nick
:39:59. > :40:03.Clegg is caught on the hop. So it was aimed in some ways...
:40:03. > :40:10.Absolutely. I hope that it has got a suitable response and it is
:40:10. > :40:14.clearly dead now will and won't go anywhere. He is it dead? I hope it
:40:14. > :40:23.is not. There is no reason to believe this is a deliberate leak
:40:23. > :40:26.on behalf of the government. Nobody denied it. There is no mileage for
:40:26. > :40:30.people in the government to have disagreements with coalition and
:40:30. > :40:33.colleagues. Now there will be healthy debate and that is a good
:40:33. > :40:37.thing. Peter was saying that there have been real improvements, that
:40:37. > :40:42.is right. There have been improvements in pupils' attainment,
:40:42. > :40:47.but I don't think anybody doubts that on top of that, there has been
:40:47. > :40:52.great inflation. Part of that is to do with competition between exam
:40:52. > :40:58.boards going after market share so there is that incentive overtime to
:40:58. > :41:04.make the syllabus that little bit easier. We need to bring back world
:41:04. > :41:10.class qualifications that 15 and 16. Isn't that elitist? What about
:41:10. > :41:15.exams most people are sitting? Exams most people are sitting are
:41:15. > :41:20.at 15 and 16 in English and maths and core subject. In Singapore,
:41:20. > :41:26.four fifths of the children are doing O-levels in the same way than
:41:26. > :41:30.they were done here. In a similar way to what used to happen. I think
:41:30. > :41:35.we should aspire for all young people to reach that level, but as
:41:35. > :41:40.Peter was saying, in future we will have anticipation at age 18. It is
:41:40. > :41:44.possible to do a more core skills type qualification at 16 and then
:41:44. > :41:51.still be able to do higher qualifications, particularly things
:41:51. > :41:54.like maths, at 16 to 18 and beyond. I think one of the great problems
:41:54. > :42:01.with this is bringing back a two- tier system which says to large
:42:01. > :42:05.numbers of children that you're not good enough even to do O-levels. It
:42:05. > :42:09.goes along with the Government's removal of a large number of
:42:10. > :42:13.vocational qualifications. Employers come to me to say what a
:42:13. > :42:16.real problem that is causing, getting rid of qualifications for
:42:16. > :42:21.people to move into work just because the Secretary of State
:42:21. > :42:25.seems to be obsessed with going back to create some sort of 1930s
:42:25. > :42:29.style school they were everybody does Latin from the age of seven.
:42:29. > :42:34.That is probably where Michael would like to get us to. He wants
:42:34. > :42:38.to raise standards. No, he wants to take us backwards to an age which
:42:38. > :42:42.served most people in this country very badly. Actually having a
:42:42. > :42:47.single set of qualifications that everybody sits at 16 was a big step
:42:47. > :42:53.forward with GCSE. It stop the two- tier part. Some children being
:42:53. > :42:57.academic and some not. It is a step backwards to get rid of that.
:42:57. > :43:00.absolutely not the case that the government is de emphasising
:43:00. > :43:06.Vocational qualification if you look at the growth in
:43:06. > :43:10.apprenticeship. You are cutting things. It is the equivalent is
:43:10. > :43:15.which are misleading. On the two- tier thing, let's not kid ourselves,
:43:15. > :43:21.the to tears never went away. First of all, the 40% of kids that are
:43:21. > :43:25.not reaching the expected standard and secondly, within each
:43:25. > :43:30.individual GCSE subject, there are literally to tears. There is a
:43:30. > :43:36.foundation level and a higher level. If you do have the foundation level
:43:36. > :43:40.you can only get a grade C. That is very similar. You are teaching the
:43:40. > :43:47.science subjects? It is the point to which you make that decision.
:43:47. > :43:53.The previous exam paper had three tears. You do mock exams in year 11
:43:53. > :43:56.and at that time you decide right near the end way you are going, in
:43:56. > :44:00.consultation with parents and children, which is their best
:44:00. > :44:03.option. There is no point in putting them in for a paper where
:44:03. > :44:09.they will sit and clearly not be able to succeed and the lowest
:44:09. > :44:17.grade you can get is a D. Nothing below that so it is a D or avail.
:44:17. > :44:23.At least the difference is, Damian, the decision is made as you enter
:44:23. > :44:27.the peoples for the exam in year 11. It depends on the subject.
:44:27. > :44:31.course, but we should not be choosing at the end of Key Stage 3
:44:31. > :44:35.which track they are going on. Thank you.
:44:35. > :44:37.Bikers in the South have been fighting to stop new EU laws that
:44:37. > :44:40.they say will take away their freedom to customise motorcycles.
:44:40. > :44:43.The European Parliament is going to vote on new anti-tampering laws
:44:43. > :44:46.which could make bikes greener, and regulate them more strictly. Many
:44:46. > :44:49.in the biking community say it won't make bikes any safer and want
:44:49. > :44:59.Brussels to think again. Emma Vardy hopped on the pillion to find out
:44:59. > :45:13.
:45:13. > :45:17.The people that prefer to Wales to four, owning a bike is much more
:45:17. > :45:22.than a method of transport. Something you can enjoy the journey
:45:22. > :45:27.on. Many bike owners make small modifications to their vehicles.
:45:27. > :45:34.Come to a popular bikers meeting cafe and almost everyone you see
:45:34. > :45:38.here has been tweaked in some way by its owner.. But that's something
:45:38. > :45:40.bikers are worried they may no longer be allowed to do in future.
:45:40. > :45:46.If the proposed EU legislation comes into effect, restrictions
:45:46. > :45:56.will be placed on some of the ways riders can modify bikes. For owners,
:45:56. > :45:57.
:45:57. > :46:03.that's something that goes right to the heart of biking culture. I have
:46:03. > :46:08.put on a more efficient exorcist them. I have also changed the air
:46:08. > :46:13.filter in here. If these changes go through, there are few things I am
:46:13. > :46:18.your bike which will become illegal. If they go through, I will not be
:46:18. > :46:26.able to do anything like this. It makes me angry. I want to be able
:46:26. > :46:29.to modify my bike so that it suits my needs and does what I want.
:46:30. > :46:35.Another worry is that if regulations are impose too quickly
:46:35. > :46:41.it will be costly for businesses to adapt. The argument in favour is
:46:41. > :46:46.that it would make bikes more safe and environmentally friendly, but
:46:47. > :46:52.the Motorcycle Action Group, MAG, has been campaigning against plans.
:46:52. > :46:56.In November, British bikers joined several 1000 others to a protest in
:46:56. > :47:01.Brussels. They are really using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The
:47:01. > :47:05.problem is not what riders do with their bikes, the number of
:47:05. > :47:10.accidents caused by modifications is tiny compared to the number of
:47:10. > :47:14.accidents where other road-users do not look out for bite properly.
:47:14. > :47:20.Their message it seems is being heard. The European Parliament made
:47:20. > :47:24.some amendments. Manufacturers, meanwhile, are not just looking at
:47:24. > :47:28.regulations on the European level, but globally. Some of the proposals
:47:28. > :47:33.are welcome. We are hoping they will bring a level playing field in
:47:33. > :47:42.Europe, but one of the problems is that an international level. These
:47:42. > :47:48.are not global regulations. feeling here is that it will affect
:47:48. > :47:54.the one thing that is so dear to many bike owners. Freedom out on
:47:54. > :47:58.the road and freedom to be what you want to be. To be a very sensible
:47:58. > :48:02.person in a suit all week and then come the weekend, on with their
:48:02. > :48:08.leather and the crash helmet and growing old disgracefully. Which I
:48:08. > :48:12.am doing! There will be a vote later this year, until then, many
:48:12. > :48:18.bikers say they will keep up the pressure on MPs asking them to
:48:18. > :48:23.resist changes. They are voting in principle, the problem is, the
:48:23. > :48:27.technical data will be decided afterwards by unelected and
:48:27. > :48:37.unaccountable people in Brussels who are going to actually write the
:48:37. > :48:40.
:48:40. > :48:46.fine print after it has been made. Joining me now from our Oxford
:48:46. > :48:52.studio is the Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder. What is the
:48:52. > :48:56.legislation designed to achieve? want to make bike Safe, we want to
:48:56. > :49:01.make Co2 emissions reduced and we need to make sure that bicycles
:49:01. > :49:05.that are made and sold across Europe are the same in terms of
:49:05. > :49:09.safety and conformity across Europe so that you could not buy a cheaper
:49:09. > :49:14.one in one country and bring it to another country where it is not
:49:14. > :49:20.safe. That is the thinking behind it, but I think we have ended up
:49:20. > :49:25.with the commission coming forward with a badly thought-out research.
:49:25. > :49:30.And legislation. That is why we are working hard to amend the
:49:30. > :49:34.legislation and make it fairer for every one and to preserve the
:49:34. > :49:40.freedoms as you heard in the peace. That is it, have the commissioners
:49:40. > :49:46.not realise that bikers like the idea of freedom. They all modify
:49:46. > :49:51.their bikes. Do they understand that? Absolutely. I think so. They
:49:51. > :49:55.have come forward with very heavy regulations and I want to thank the
:49:55. > :49:59.Motorcycle Action Group for getting in touch with me and alerting May.
:49:59. > :50:04.I am not a mechanic and they have taken me through some of the things
:50:04. > :50:09.that they can do that will fall foul of this legislation. The
:50:09. > :50:14.parliament and MPs who are directly elected and the council, the member
:50:14. > :50:19.state governments, all working together in what we call a
:50:19. > :50:24.tripartite. So it is the commission who write it, the council, we have
:50:24. > :50:28.had a whole series of meetings and are improving it. I hope that by
:50:28. > :50:33.the time we have had those meetings and have come up with something
:50:33. > :50:39.sensible and workable. That will be towards the end of this year?
:50:39. > :50:42.we expect of a tin September or October. A I have written us the
:50:42. > :50:47.series of questions about the research they have done. It appears
:50:47. > :50:52.they have bought this and without research. I have not had an answer
:50:52. > :50:59.yet so I will be chasing them., the opposite point of view to you?
:50:59. > :51:04.Car drivers stick to the rules, why should there be this opt-out for
:51:04. > :51:10.bikers just because they have a desire for freedom? It is a tension
:51:10. > :51:15.between what is safe and what is feasible. And what is fun for a
:51:15. > :51:19.biker. Most people do not amend their cars. I remember in my youth,
:51:19. > :51:24.people used to extend minnies. They would cut them in half and put a
:51:24. > :51:29.piece in the middle. That became illegal because it meant you had a
:51:29. > :51:33.car that was clearly unsafe. Sometimes we have to have
:51:33. > :51:38.legislation that ensures that when people tinkle with machines, they
:51:38. > :51:46.will not make them unsafe. The regulations that came in were too
:51:46. > :51:50.much and on something as, I hate to say simplistic, as a motorcycle,
:51:51. > :51:55.they are much more easily adapted. You can change the size of the
:51:55. > :52:02.wheels. They did take me through it, I struggled a bit with the
:52:02. > :52:05.mechanics, but that can change the whole nature of that bicycle. So we
:52:05. > :52:10.need to come up with something sensible, but something that
:52:10. > :52:13.maintain safety. That is why we need to work together and that is
:52:13. > :52:19.why am so grateful to the Motorcycle Action Group because I
:52:19. > :52:22.am there to represent them. Thank you very much. There is going to be
:52:22. > :52:26.a big mass protest driving up the M3 later.
:52:26. > :52:36.Now our regular round-up of the political week in the South in 60
:52:36. > :52:38.
:52:38. > :52:45.seconds. UNISON's conference started with a
:52:45. > :52:48.stunt. Breaking the public sector pay freeze, get it? Oxfordshire has
:52:48. > :52:54.the largest owner farm in Britain and it is being sold to the
:52:54. > :53:01.community. Greg Barker said people made just �250 to grab a share.
:53:01. > :53:07.think community is going to be at the heart of the green revolution.
:53:07. > :53:13.I want to see old friends again. She got an emotional welcome at her
:53:13. > :53:17.old college. It is such an honour to be able to see her today.
:53:17. > :53:25.love that we have this connection to her and she is trying so hard
:53:25. > :53:30.for our country. The Dalai Lama met former Gurkhas and the government
:53:30. > :53:39.released extra cash for Nepalese people.
:53:39. > :53:43.The government refused to review the doctors' pension argument.
:53:43. > :53:49.One person who did get treated was Mike Hancock Sir Gerald has stood
:53:49. > :53:52.in for him because of his heart problems. T think he will be back?
:53:52. > :53:58.Michael always want to serve the people of Portsmouth. He if he
:53:58. > :54:03.didn't, would you step in? I would be very interested and there is no
:54:03. > :54:09.vacancy and Mike is a great MP he works incredibly hard. I wish him
:54:09. > :54:13.well. Damien, the pay freeze at the UNISON conference, you seem to be
:54:13. > :54:18.getting somewhere with public sector pensions. Reform is needed
:54:18. > :54:22.because people are living longer so most people actually realise that
:54:22. > :54:27.and they want to get on with it. Pensions have to be fair and people
:54:27. > :54:32.want to know what they get is there, but what is being taken forward is
:54:32. > :54:35.in fact there. Thank you both for coming here and thank you Gerald
:54:35. > :54:41.for stepping in at the That's the Sunday Politics in the
:54:41. > :54:44.South, thanks to my guests Gerald Vernon-Jackson and Damian Hinds.