:00:20. > :00:48.Sunday Politics. David Cameron rushes out a scheme to help
:00:48. > :00:53.house-buyers with deposits. Is he merely stoking a new house price
:00:53. > :00:58.bubble? As Tory activist 's gather in Manchester, we will have the
:00:58. > :01:00.results of our exclusive survey of Conservative councillors. I will be
:01:00. > :01:06.speaking to Foreign Secretary William Hague. And Ed Miliband made
:01:06. > :01:08.headlines with his pledge to freeze energy prices for 20 months after
:01:08. > :01:09.headlines with his pledge to freeze the next election. But does the new
:01:09. > :01:20.policy really stack up? Shadow the next election. But does the new
:01:20. > :01:21.In the south, anger over fracking and HS2, I will ask the Prime
:01:22. > :01:23.Minister and HS2, I will ask the Prime
:01:23. > :01:26.believe that strikes on the Underground should be made illegal,
:01:26. > :01:39.something the Prime Minister doesn't rule
:01:39. > :01:45.With me are a trio of top political commentators. All three will be
:01:45. > :01:48.tweeting their thoughts, or in some cases just their thought through the
:01:48. > :01:55.show, using the hashtag #bbcsp. cases just their thought through the
:01:55. > :02:02.Conservative Party conference gets afternoon. We have already been
:02:02. > :02:06.bombarded with a series of policy announcements, a tax break for
:02:06. > :02:10.married couples of up to £200 per year, more money on life extending
:02:10. > :02:13.cancer treatments and, last night, the news that the second stage of
:02:13. > :02:19.the Chancellor's Help To Buy scheme brought forward from the start of
:02:19. > :02:24.next year. David Cameron says it is all about helping hard-working
:02:24. > :02:33.people. Right now, you can't get, 95% mortgage. That means a typical
:02:33. > :02:34.family with two people earning 20,000, 25,000, they are being
:02:34. > :02:43.asked, to buy an average house, 20,000, 25,000, they are being
:02:43. > :02:46.mortgage payment, but they can't get the mortgage. They can't buy their
:02:46. > :02:51.flat or house. As Prime Minister, I'm not going to stand back while
:02:51. > :02:52.people's aspirations to get on the housing ladder, to own their own
:02:52. > :02:58.flat or home, is being trashed. housing ladder, to own their own
:02:58. > :03:02.is why we need to act. A predictable attempt by party leadership to
:03:02. > :03:05.kick-start the conference with eye-catching policies. The polls
:03:05. > :03:10.show a big bounce for Ed Miliband and the Labour Party, with decent
:03:10. > :03:26.numbers for UKIP. What do party councillors as they travel to their
:03:26. > :03:36.For the Conservatives this weekend, conference, and as a scene setter we
:03:36. > :03:43.asked ComRes to survey councillors are Finland and Wales. Councillors
:03:43. > :03:46.asked ComRes to survey councillors like Tom, packing for conference at
:03:46. > :03:48.home in Wellingborough. Immigration is an issue for him. He thinks there
:03:48. > :03:55.are pros and cons. But we found is an issue for him. He thinks there
:03:55. > :04:02.immigration has had a negative reflects into this wider issue of
:04:02. > :04:08.our relationship with Europe. People possible influx of ovarian and
:04:08. > :04:18.Romania emigrants. Obviously the issue of Europe is very big. --
:04:18. > :04:23.Ukrainian. His colleagues in Corby are worried about the rise of the UK
:04:23. > :04:26.Independence Party. In our survey, nearly a quarter of Conservative
:04:26. > :04:31.councillors thought that their party should make a pact with UKIP. The
:04:31. > :04:40.concern is, yes, will they take If that happens, maybe we don't
:04:40. > :04:43.concern is, yes, will they take back in. Maybe a partnership is
:04:43. > :04:50.concern is, yes, will they take way to go. It depends what they
:04:50. > :04:50.concern is, yes, will they take talking about them. A pact? Depends
:04:50. > :05:06.what they say, anything is possible. What would you like to see? Ideally,
:05:06. > :05:11.from my point of view, a national pact. David Cameron arrived in
:05:11. > :05:14.Manchester last night. Around the same time as these activists from
:05:14. > :05:23.London. I broke the news to them that in our survey just 26% of Tory
:05:24. > :05:29.councillors think that the prime ministers in touch with the lives of
:05:29. > :05:32.ordinary people. The same at all Conservatives, you don't judge
:05:32. > :05:34.people by their background. It's not where they come from, it is where
:05:34. > :05:38.they are going to. It is not a where they come from, it is where
:05:38. > :05:40.problem that he is a bit on the where they come from, it is where
:05:40. > :05:42.side? Cull you might describe him like that, I would not use those
:05:42. > :05:49.words. Explain your T-shirt, it like that, I would not use those
:05:49. > :05:55.phrase that a senior Cameron person is alleged to have used about you?
:05:55. > :05:58.It is a humorous way of letting is alleged to have used about you?
:05:58. > :06:01.party now that we are here to say important. We are not going away any
:06:01. > :06:06.time soon. A sentiment you will important. We are not going away any
:06:06. > :06:09.a lot at this conference, because just 22% of councillors in our
:06:09. > :06:16.survey said that David Cameron was any good at listening to the people
:06:16. > :06:21.that work hard for his party. That was Adam. Joining me now from the
:06:21. > :06:26.Conservative Party conference in William Hague. Welcome to the Sunday
:06:26. > :06:33.Politics. Good morning. Over one in five Tory councillors in our survey
:06:33. > :06:36.support a pact with UKIP at the five Tory councillors in our survey
:06:36. > :06:39.election. Why do you think that five Tory councillors in our survey
:06:39. > :06:41.If it is one in five, it means a large majority did not want a pact
:06:41. > :06:46.with UKIP at the next election. large majority did not want a pact
:06:46. > :06:49.have noticed that UKIP, in local elections, has been receiving votes,
:06:49. > :06:52.some of which would otherwise have been for the Conservatives. I think
:06:52. > :06:58.we have to make sure that people election they are choosing between a
:06:59. > :07:01.Conservative and Labour Government, as David Cameron as Prime Minister
:07:02. > :07:07.or Ed Miliband. If people want to get a referendum on Europe, the
:07:07. > :07:07.or Ed Miliband. If people want to way to do that is to have David
:07:07. > :07:12.Cameron as Prime Minister. I think a Cameron as Prime Minister. I think a
:07:12. > :07:15.general election is different from the local government perspective. It
:07:15. > :07:20.is pretty unusual, some might say unprecedented, for a large chunk of
:07:20. > :07:23.one of the big parties in this country to want to go into coalition
:07:23. > :07:31.one of the big parties in this with a smaller party before an
:07:31. > :07:36.happened? Looking at your survey, three times as many didn't want
:07:36. > :07:38.happened? Looking at your survey, with statistics, you can highlight
:07:38. > :07:43.it whichever way around you want to. The point is, we are not having
:07:43. > :07:49.pacts with other parties, electoral pacts with other parties. You rule
:07:49. > :07:52.it out? That is not going to happen. What we do want is to have a pact
:07:52. > :07:56.it out? That is not going to happen. with the voters, if you like, as we
:07:56. > :08:00.have often done in the Conservative Party. We have won over the voters
:08:00. > :08:02.of other parties to support our policies and Prime Minister. That is
:08:02. > :08:05.important with those people that say important with those people that say
:08:05. > :08:09.they want to vote for UKIP. By default, they would produce a Labour
:08:09. > :08:14.government in the exact opposite of many of the things they intend,
:08:14. > :08:15.government in the exact opposite of Conservative and decide to vote
:08:15. > :08:18.government in the exact opposite of UKIP instead in a general election.
:08:19. > :08:25.That could help to produce a Labour government. The chairman of the
:08:25. > :08:29.That could help to produce a Labour committee, the elected voice of
:08:29. > :08:33.Conservative backbenchers, he says your party should spell out what had
:08:33. > :08:38.once back from the European Union before next year's European actions.
:08:38. > :08:44.Do you agree? We will be spelling out some things in the European
:08:44. > :08:53.elections. I will be talking about this later on today. For instance,
:08:53. > :08:58.European treaties the concept of ever closer union, a concept that in
:08:58. > :09:03.believed in. We would like that ever closer union, a concept that in
:09:03. > :09:07.consequences that would flow from that. We will be setting out the
:09:07. > :09:13.examples and principles of the changes we want to say. Certainly
:09:13. > :09:16.over the next year, not only before the European actions but the general
:09:16. > :09:22.election, if you are saying, let have the exact list of anything
:09:22. > :09:24.election, if you are saying, let negotiate, that is difficult because
:09:24. > :09:29.there will be a negotiation of a new deal in Europe if David Cameron
:09:29. > :09:35.there will be a negotiation of a new election. To some extent, that has
:09:35. > :09:38.to be negotiated. Only 11% of your own councillors feel that people in
:09:38. > :09:46.their area think that George Osborne is in touch with ordinary people.
:09:46. > :09:53.is not for me to explain why people say what they say in surveys. The
:09:53. > :09:56.important thing is what we are delivering for the country. What
:09:56. > :10:00.George Osborne is delivering his renewed economic growth. 1.4 million
:10:00. > :10:06.new jobs in the private sector, renewed economic growth. 1.4 million
:10:06. > :10:09.for hard-working people, by reducing the tax for 25 million of them.
:10:09. > :10:12.for hard-working people, by reducing Help To Buy scheme that we are
:10:12. > :10:17.highlighting today. That is what really matters to people, actually,
:10:17. > :10:20.I think you will find. Let's talk about helping ordinary people. Ed
:10:20. > :10:28.Miliband is guilty freeze energy prices. What are you going to do
:10:28. > :10:36.about energy prices, we already asked energy companies to put people
:10:36. > :10:45.on their lowest tariffs. This has not been amended. -- implemented.
:10:45. > :10:51.Why not? This is going to happen within this government. It is going
:10:51. > :10:58.to happen within this government when the... Why hasn't it happened
:10:58. > :11:01.now? People are suffering now from rising energy prices. It has not
:11:02. > :11:07.happened because my colleagues have been implimenting it. In the case of
:11:07. > :11:10.Ed Miliband's policy, if you are asking why it has not yet happened
:11:10. > :11:16.under this Government, it didn't even survive a few our's scrutiny in
:11:16. > :11:19.opposition. In a few hours he had to concede that if there was a big
:11:19. > :11:23.change in oil prices then the policy would not work. The trouble is,
:11:23. > :11:30.change in oil prices then the policy would dry up some of the investment
:11:30. > :11:33.in the energy industry. I don't think it is a credible promise.
:11:33. > :11:33.in the energy industry. I don't a party that presided over council
:11:33. > :11:40.tax bills doubling in the next a party that presided over council
:11:40. > :11:46.tax bills doubling in the next government, -- last government,
:11:46. > :11:48.tax bills doubling in the next not very credible. Why is George
:11:48. > :11:52.Osborne going against the European Well, we don't want to see the
:11:52. > :11:56.European treaties used in a way Well, we don't want to see the
:11:57. > :12:01.they should not be used. It's not necessarily over this particular
:12:01. > :12:05.issue. It is over the power that the European Union has over our lives
:12:05. > :12:08.and over this country. Can the bankers look after themselves? We
:12:08. > :12:12.should be able to decide those things in our own country. We have
:12:12. > :12:18.never signed up to such matters things in our own country. We have
:12:18. > :12:21.European institutions. If you allow one thing that wasn't meant to be
:12:21. > :12:25.decided to be decided, you find one thing that wasn't meant to be
:12:25. > :12:26.there are another ten or 20 things that affect many other people. We
:12:26. > :12:32.are very vigilant about what we that affect many other people. We
:12:32. > :12:36.competence creep, with the European Union taking more powers than it was
:12:36. > :12:41.meant to have. That is one of the referendum, do want a new deal in
:12:41. > :12:51.Europe. That is what we intend to institution, ICAP, fined for fixing
:12:51. > :12:56.the LIBOR rates. The founder of institution, ICAP, fined for fixing
:12:56. > :13:00.company has donated £5 million to your party. Shouldn't you give it
:13:00. > :13:08.back? Aren't you ashamed to accept that money? He has donated his own
:13:08. > :13:10.Which he made out of ICAP. As people have to other parties, people are
:13:10. > :13:13.free to do that and they should have to other parties, people are
:13:13. > :13:16.free to do that. I am not aware have to other parties, people are
:13:16. > :13:21.any plan for that to be repaid. Because you can't afford to. Let's
:13:22. > :13:26.recap this. We have seen Tory MPs parrot propaganda lines from the
:13:26. > :13:29.energy companies this week. We have the Chancellor going to court to
:13:29. > :13:33.fight for unlimited banker bonuses. We have a top Tory donor the centre
:13:33. > :13:36.fight for unlimited banker bonuses. of yet another city scandal. Ed
:13:36. > :13:39.Miliband is right when he says you lot are on the side of the vested
:13:39. > :13:47.interests so the rich and powerful, isn't he? Well, again, look at the
:13:47. > :13:53.record. I just did! 1.4 million extra jobs in the private sector, 25
:13:53. > :13:56.million people with a tax cut, a Help To Buy scheme which is going to
:13:56. > :14:03.help so many people, particularly young people have the house that
:14:03. > :14:08.future. Council tax bills held down, welfare reform so that it pays to
:14:08. > :14:11.work. Actually, this is a government achieving things for hard-working
:14:11. > :14:32.While President Laugharne he's talking about peace, the Iranians
:14:32. > :14:37.weapons programme. -- is talking. It would be hard to say from week
:14:37. > :14:45.to week whether it is speeding up continuing with it. That is why
:14:45. > :14:48.to week whether it is speeding up say the new message - the new words
:14:48. > :14:52.- from Iranian leadership are very welcome. I said that to the Foreign
:14:52. > :14:57.Minister in New York over the last few days but it is the actions that
:14:57. > :15:04.will count. At the moment, the nuclear programme continues. We
:15:04. > :15:07.negotiations on that and that will be a very important test as to
:15:07. > :15:12.whether actions will match the words. When will we know it if we
:15:12. > :15:17.are being strung along? He has strung as a long in the past as
:15:17. > :15:20.are being strung along? He has nuclear weapons negotiator. When
:15:20. > :15:24.will we know if he is not just doing that again? Over the next
:15:24. > :15:27.will we know if he is not just weeks, it will be a very important
:15:27. > :15:34.time. He has said there should be more transparency over the Iranian
:15:34. > :15:40.transparent in many regards at the moment. The atomic agency is asking
:15:40. > :15:47.for information that is not being given. One test is, in the coming
:15:47. > :15:51.information? The information that the international of authority is
:15:51. > :15:55.asking for about their nuclear programme. We will be able to form
:15:55. > :16:01.a view of this in the coming weeks or months. It is important we test
:16:01. > :16:09.their new willingness to talk to us important to find out whether they
:16:10. > :16:15.asking, is the nuclear programme really continuing? Are they really
:16:15. > :16:22.negotiations and offer something Speaking of being strung along,
:16:22. > :16:31.what sanctions would President Assad face if, in six months - the
:16:31. > :16:36.Year, Syria still has a chemical weapons arsenal. In the resolution
:16:36. > :16:44.we voted through the UN Security Council on Friday night, is the
:16:44. > :16:50.Council will take measures under Chapter seven of the UN Charter
:16:50. > :16:53.Council will take measures under the event of non-compliance. Does
:16:53. > :17:00.that allow full force? I did not catch that. Does that allow for
:17:00. > :17:05.Security Council resolution about Iraq, which most people concluded
:17:05. > :17:13.in not allow full force. It does not specify that. It talks about
:17:13. > :17:18.terms seven of the charter. That is a message of the whole UN Security
:17:18. > :17:24.Council that there will be measures - there will be consequences - if
:17:24. > :17:33.the Assad regime does not comply. has a big commitment. I have spent
:17:33. > :17:38.counterpart over the last week. Russia has said, this is something
:17:38. > :17:43.you will have to do. We will work with Russia and others very closely
:17:43. > :17:49.to check there is compliance will this resolution. Given the progress
:17:49. > :17:53.that has been made, you must be very glad that the British House of
:17:53. > :18:08.Commons stopped your rash to force against Syria. -- rush. The reason
:18:08. > :18:14.credible threat of military action. has happened is because there was a
:18:14. > :18:14.credible threat of military action. President Obama did not get it
:18:14. > :18:21.through Congress. They have not President Obama did not get it
:18:21. > :18:25.the vote in Congress. There is no other explanation as to why the
:18:25. > :18:30.policy changed. It was because there was a debate about military
:18:30. > :18:35.action in the West that the policy changed on theirs. That is why it
:18:35. > :18:40.changed. We were not in a rush for military action. The boat put to
:18:40. > :18:50.the House of Commons was to have inspectors reported. It was before
:18:50. > :19:02.Russian and Syrian policy changed. We need to make sure that works
:19:02. > :19:05.Russian and Syrian policy changed. practice. Thank you. What do you
:19:05. > :19:09.make about this rushing forward with the help to buy scheme which
:19:09. > :19:14.was meant to start next year - coming forward mad to the next
:19:14. > :19:28.couple of weeks? I think it is a Government having an interest in
:19:28. > :19:33.mortgage lending. -- there is a fundamental problem. It should have
:19:33. > :19:38.been set much lower to exclude London and the South East where
:19:38. > :19:44.houses are dramatically overvalued. Many economists think freezing
:19:44. > :19:49.energy prices is a terrible policy. These policies can be popular. If
:19:49. > :19:59.you have no chance of getting a deposit, the Government will make
:19:59. > :20:04.Osborne tried every single lever. It looked like he could not do
:20:04. > :20:11.anything to get the economy moving. It is moving. They have pulled it
:20:11. > :20:14.forward and there are signs it is recovering. The reason why they
:20:14. > :20:17.forward and there are signs it is doing this is they want to show
:20:17. > :20:21.this week at the conference there are real sort of understandable
:20:21. > :20:26.issues you can explain very simply that really up going to improve
:20:26. > :20:35.people's lives. The Conservatives Miliband's speech last week. The
:20:35. > :20:49.nuts. Much more cautious and -- language about the energy price
:20:49. > :20:54.freeze. They are nervous that Ed Miliband may be touching a nerve on
:20:54. > :21:02.that one. What we will get this week, I suggest, his Tory populism
:21:02. > :21:04.to counter Miliband populism. I think we will see that and it will
:21:04. > :21:10.be a mistake. As long as it is think we will see that and it will
:21:10. > :21:18.about The Picture, they are on relatively strong ground. When the
:21:18. > :21:20.political conversation changes to more fiddly things, particularities
:21:20. > :21:26.standards, things that are some more fiddly things, particularities
:21:26. > :21:31.below that picture, I do not think they can win a bidding war with
:21:31. > :21:31.below that picture, I do not think Labour Party. It is about borrowing
:21:31. > :21:43.against a party that stands for Labour Party. It is about borrowing
:21:43. > :21:48.before the Labour conference, which is unemployment, GDP growth and
:21:48. > :21:54.before the Labour conference, which warming economic picture. That does
:21:54. > :22:00.not pay energy bills. Does not sound that the Tories have anything
:22:00. > :22:02.not pay energy bills. Does not to counter the price freeze. --
:22:02. > :22:04.not pay energy bills. Does not does not sound. They have had a
:22:04. > :22:09.week to think about a great attack line and they do not add anything.
:22:09. > :22:32.the credibility test. Ed Miliband said, if there were a big spike
:22:32. > :22:33.the credibility test. Ed Miliband energy prices, he would not be able
:22:33. > :22:52.it is about credibility. Being seen as serious and grown-up is worth
:22:52. > :22:52.it is about credibility. Being seen more than any burst of popularity.
:22:52. > :23:01.with the election campaign, it My worry about the announcement
:23:01. > :23:06.with the election campaign, it begins to lose credibility, begins
:23:06. > :23:12.to seem a banana republic. It looks a lot less wise than it did last
:23:12. > :23:14.week. I disagree. Every time energy bills go up and they will continue
:23:14. > :23:19.to go up, it will be a reminder bills go up and they will continue
:23:19. > :23:24.how much people are being hit in the pockets. People know by energy
:23:24. > :23:28.prices are going up. There is a structural change in the world that
:23:28. > :23:33.was not there before - China and India. These energy companies may
:23:33. > :23:40.be making huge profit but, at the end of the day, what is driving
:23:40. > :23:42.be making huge profit but, at the the cost of fuel is China and India.
:23:42. > :23:47.Ed Miliband, great man that he is, I am not sure he can take on the
:23:47. > :23:56.people Sammir on that one. How dare Labour's Conference in Brighton
:23:56. > :23:59.last week. Dogged by criticism over the summer of his leadership style
:23:59. > :24:02.and lack of policies, Mr Miliband tried to demonstrate his strength
:24:02. > :24:05.of character with a series of bold announcements, and attempted to
:24:05. > :24:11.position himself on the side of ordinary Brits. The Labour leader
:24:11. > :24:13.told party members he would stand up to the strong and take on the
:24:13. > :24:17.vested interests that hold back up to the strong and take on the
:24:17. > :24:21.economy. In a speech in which he jokingly referred to himself as
:24:21. > :24:22.economy. In a speech in which he action hero, Mr Miliband promised
:24:22. > :24:26.to switch the forthcoming business action hero, Mr Miliband promised
:24:26. > :24:30.tax cut from large firms to smaller businesses. He said he would force
:24:30. > :24:35.big firms to train at an apprentice every time they bring in a worker
:24:35. > :24:40.from outside the EU. He hinted that increasing the minimum wage would
:24:40. > :24:47.be increased. He bowed to take on developers with a use it or lose it
:24:47. > :24:52.threat to landowners and pledged to build 200,000 homes each year by
:24:52. > :24:57.2020. He promised to freeze energy prices and reset the energy market.
:24:57. > :25:06.The next Labour government will freeze gas and electricity prices
:25:06. > :25:12.provoked a rash of headlines - hailing the return of red Ed macro.
:25:12. > :25:15.It has also given him a spike in the polls. And Labour's Shadow
:25:15. > :25:34.Ed Miliband says, our energy market is broken and does not work. In
:25:34. > :25:43.what way is that market to date different from the one Labour left
:25:43. > :25:54.companies that dominate the energy generate energy, and sell it on
:25:54. > :25:55.companies that dominate the energy Miliband recognised when he was
:25:55. > :25:59.Secretary of State and asked for more information from the company
:25:59. > :26:01.Secretary of State and asked for is on hold serve costs and profits,
:26:01. > :26:05.all the things we have done to mitigate against that in terms of a
:26:05. > :26:13.warm front programme and everything Horsell market is too secretive
:26:13. > :26:16.warm front programme and everything it is too much about such supply. -
:26:16. > :26:18.- the wholesale market. We have been raising with the Government in
:26:18. > :26:25.a co-operative way the argument been raising with the Government in
:26:25. > :26:32.resetting the market. It has got worse in terms of speed at which
:26:32. > :26:34.prices have gone up. Labour put wholesale and retail together. It
:26:34. > :26:40.was the start this dates back to wholesale and retail together. It
:26:40. > :26:40.was the start this dates back to privatisation. We took some reforms
:26:40. > :26:48.realised it was not working and privatisation. We took some reforms
:26:48. > :26:50.was broken and we need to reset privatisation. We took some reforms
:26:50. > :26:55.Ed Miliband will be the first to onwards. Let's have a look at what
:26:55. > :26:59.happened to energy prices under onwards. Let's have a look at what
:27:00. > :27:08.Labour government. Electricity up 67%, gas up 139%. Overall prices up
:27:08. > :27:14.by 48%. The market was broken and we saw prices biking as wholesale
:27:14. > :27:21.prices went up. The tick action we saw prices biking as wholesale
:27:21. > :27:31.the one Front programme, decent homes for social housing. -- we
:27:31. > :27:35.programme. Trying to do things around social obligations needs
:27:35. > :27:43.programme. Trying to do things be looked at. Gas and electricity
:27:43. > :27:46.presided over but as a consequence of Labour policy. Beds have a look
:27:46. > :27:52.at the breakdown of dual fuel - of Labour policy. Beds have a look
:27:52. > :27:59.and electricity bill. -- let's have a look. The supply costs of getting
:27:59. > :28:11.it to us and so on. The policies government - Green levies - are
:28:11. > :28:24.energy bills. £112 on average bill of 1188. You have put the bill up.
:28:24. > :28:29.obligations amount to £112. That helps the poorest insulate homes.
:28:29. > :28:36.Overwhelmingly, looking at your wholesale costs are worth more than
:28:36. > :28:43.half. What we have seen, based on figures we now have, in Eni macro,
:28:43. > :28:52.a wholesale costs fell by 39% and that was not reflected in our bills.
:28:52. > :28:57.Do you have plans to do anything about the £112? If you took that
:28:57. > :29:02.off, you could cut bills by 10% tomorrow. Or if you were in power.
:29:02. > :29:12.It is important that restimulate energy. It -- we stimulate. If we
:29:12. > :29:17.do not have clean energy, we will be beholden for ever-more to fossil
:29:17. > :29:20.do not have clean energy, we will fuels that are depleting. It will
:29:20. > :29:30.create jobs and bring in investment will start in the last few years,
:29:30. > :29:38.investment. If I could go back to whatever advance there are, looking
:29:38. > :29:41.at whether the money raised through energy companies to deliver energy
:29:41. > :29:46.efficiency, is that doing as well as it might? Could it be better
:29:46. > :29:53.delivered by another agency? They are fair questions. We need to get
:29:53. > :29:57.market. Can we make the market will competitive make sure when there is
:29:57. > :30:02.downward pressure on wholesale prices, that is reflected on our
:30:02. > :30:04.bills? That is the bigger picture argument. Also the freeze to help
:30:04. > :30:17.As you complain about the energy prices, it was as a result of your
:30:17. > :30:21.actions. Ed Miliband introduced prices, it was as a result of your
:30:21. > :30:27.climate change act. He admitted prices would have to rise to pay for
:30:27. > :30:30.decarbonisation. He said, we are going to minimise the costs as much
:30:31. > :30:35.as possible, but it is true there is not a low-cost energy future out
:30:35. > :30:38.there. It is important that we address the pressures on bills,
:30:38. > :30:40.there. It is important that we also recognise that if we are going
:30:40. > :30:48.to build a better future where we can have more home-grown British
:30:48. > :30:59.renewables. Truth is it is about the market. I acknowledge I acknowledge
:30:59. > :31:08.wholesale prices have fallen. They fell in 2009, we got a reduction in
:31:08. > :31:13.bills of 5%. Which are saying that the big companies are overcharging
:31:13. > :31:16.customers. We are seeing profits going up, but we haven't seen the
:31:16. > :31:24.amount of investment suggested by those profits coming through. But
:31:24. > :31:27.because your leader said in his speech in Brighton that Labour will
:31:27. > :31:31.have a world leading commitment speech in Brighton that Labour will
:31:31. > :31:35.Government to take out all carbon from energy generation by 2030.
:31:35. > :31:37.Government to take out all carbon is not that far away. By 2030, no
:31:37. > :31:42.more coal generation, no more gas generation, only much more expensive
:31:43. > :31:51.nuclear and much more expensive without bills going up even further?
:31:52. > :31:55.Hang on a second. The 2030 target to remove carbon from the electricity
:31:55. > :31:59.supply, we have said we should set a target now because, actually, it
:31:59. > :32:02.gives us more time to plan ahead and also allows investment to come in.
:32:02. > :32:06.There is plenty of people with cash in their pockets not want to invest
:32:06. > :32:09.what they are stalling because of the Government's hesitancy over
:32:09. > :32:14.this. I just want a clarification here. My understanding is that your
:32:14. > :32:19.commitment is to get rid of all carbon from power generation by
:32:19. > :32:23.2030? From the letters city supply. Only electricity. We will still
:32:23. > :32:27.2030? From the letters city supply. gas? We have always said we will
:32:27. > :32:37.need gas for decades to come. So we are clear for that. But you will be
:32:37. > :32:41.increasingly dependent on expensive nuclear. EDF are currently demanding
:32:41. > :32:48.twice the market price to build plans in this country. Renewables
:32:48. > :32:55.are two or three times the market price. Bills are going up under
:32:55. > :32:56.are two or three times the market policies? On nuclear, we took a
:32:56. > :33:00.decision under the Labour Government that we needed to revitalise the
:33:00. > :33:05.sector, to hit targets on clean that we needed to revitalise the
:33:05. > :33:08.energy and make sure it can do the heavy lifting. The Government at the
:33:08. > :33:14.discussions with EDF about what heavy lifting. The Government at the
:33:14. > :33:16.important, because I don't know heavy lifting. The Government at the
:33:16. > :33:20.it's going to be, it is important that stands up to scrutiny in terms
:33:20. > :33:26.of value for money. At the same time, I go back to market reforms.
:33:26. > :33:32.difference, the jargon for nuclear, We will not just have a target for
:33:32. > :33:35.difference, the jargon for nuclear, we will have it for renewables as
:33:35. > :33:36.well. That is even more important, that we have a transparent market so
:33:37. > :33:42.that we can have a robust target that we have a transparent market so
:33:42. > :33:44.that we can have a robust target price to be judged against. Michael
:33:44. > :33:56.Gove recognised in question time they used the term cosy cartel.
:33:56. > :33:58.Gove recognised in question time Cameron saying something needs to be
:33:58. > :34:04.done. I'm surprised David Cameron doesn't acknowledge that. You are
:34:04. > :34:08.going to freeze prices for 20 months regulator to replace Ofgem. Will
:34:08. > :34:11.that regulator have the power to regulator to replace Ofgem. Will
:34:11. > :34:19.control prices? The new energy wholesale costs and prices, which it
:34:19. > :34:28.moment. As a result of that it will have the power that, if the
:34:28. > :34:35.wholesale prices fall, it can force the energy companies, if they don't,
:34:35. > :34:38.to pass on reductions in bills to consumers. It will not have what we
:34:38. > :34:43.see in some parts of the European Union, 15 of them, that have a
:34:43. > :34:47.variety of price controls that set things at below inflation and what
:34:47. > :34:54.have you. France, Spain, Italy. It will not do that. Why? Because we
:34:54. > :34:56.are looking at a temporary price freeze to reflect a reduction in
:34:56. > :35:00.are looking at a temporary price wholesale prices, to give the
:35:00. > :35:03.British public respite from ever climbing bills while they get
:35:03. > :35:07.reforms into the market. At the end of this, what we want is a more
:35:07. > :35:12.competitive market that can be trusted, that is more transparent.
:35:12. > :35:16.We do believe it is right that, actually, we need a regulator that
:35:16. > :35:19.has much more of a role in making sure the market is managed
:35:19. > :35:29.effectively. Are you accusing energy companies of profiteering? EU I am
:35:29. > :35:32.accusing them of overcharging and not passing on wholesale reduction
:35:33. > :35:44.costs to the customer in a fair way. Of making Carter -- cartel profits?
:35:44. > :35:49.I do believe that the level of profits they have passed on to their
:35:50. > :35:53.shareholders is high, compared to the reductions they could have
:35:53. > :35:59.provided to consumers. Let's look at the evidence for that. Here are the
:35:59. > :36:03.British owned companies, SSE and Centrica. In the last fiscal year
:36:03. > :36:10.they made combined earnings of £4 billion. But they invested £3
:36:10. > :36:15.billion. The remaining money went to debt servicing and paying dividends,
:36:15. > :36:18.which go into pension funds. Where in these figures is the
:36:18. > :36:28.profiteering? My figures that I got through their reporting to Ofgem and
:36:28. > :36:33.work done by other organisations, Witch and others, it shows that in
:36:33. > :36:38.Centrica's case they have something like 8% return in profit margins on
:36:38. > :36:41.the retail side. That goes up to 24% on the generation side. They have
:36:41. > :36:46.passed on, in terms of profits, something I70 4% through evidence to
:36:46. > :36:54.shareholders. But these figures don't show that. They have invested
:36:54. > :36:59.£3 billion. I am reporting what has been reported by Ofgem. Ofgem has
:36:59. > :37:03.not accused them of property in. They may well be, but we don't have
:37:03. > :37:06.the evidence. I would accuse Ofgem of not doing the job they should be
:37:06. > :37:12.doing, and they have held back from tackling the issue. It is
:37:12. > :37:16.acknowledged, across the sector, across the big six, something like
:37:16. > :37:21.50% of profits has gone over to dividends to shareholders. In
:37:21. > :37:24.Centrica's case it is 74%. On the Centrica example, even though they
:37:24. > :37:32.have had the highest profit margins, they have invested the least. It is
:37:32. > :37:36.fair to question. We are running out of time. None of us really know what
:37:36. > :37:41.the true price of energy is that is Labour's policy to reform his
:37:41. > :37:44.crucial. That is because he merged the market and we can't tell the
:37:44. > :37:47.difference. If they continue putting prices up, even after your price
:37:47. > :37:51.freeze, if they don't invest in a way that they do, do you rule out
:37:51. > :37:56.wholesale nationalisation? Absolutely. I want a more
:37:56. > :38:00.competitive market and that is why we are resetting it. You are
:38:00. > :38:04.watching Sunday Politics. Coming up in just over 20 minutes I will be
:38:04. > :38:17.Welcome to Sunday Politics in the political panel
:38:17. > :38:24.Welcome to Sunday Politics in the south. On today's show, a summer of
:38:24. > :38:27.discontent in the shires about fracking and HS2, as the
:38:27. > :38:33.Conservatives bring the conference season to a close. Is it a sign that
:38:33. > :38:38.the leadership is out of touch? I will ask the Prime Minister just
:38:38. > :38:42.that. Let me that two politicians who are with us for the next 20
:38:42. > :38:49.minutes. They will look for your vote at the next election. The
:38:49. > :38:58.Labour candidate for Reading West and the Conservative candidate for
:38:58. > :39:03.Southampton. What are you hoping for from the Conservatives? I am hoping
:39:03. > :39:08.that we will continue to hold the line. I think it is important to cut
:39:08. > :39:12.immigration, as we said we would. We are trying to make sure we get the
:39:12. > :39:18.country growing. I want to see more of the same and continue along that
:39:18. > :39:25.rain and make the progress we said we would. Did you feel the Ed
:39:25. > :39:29.Miliband gave you plenty of ideas? I thought the conference was great. I
:39:29. > :39:36.have worked in Reading on lots of community issues such as childcare.
:39:36. > :39:40.We have had some stuff on small businesses and I felt that the
:39:40. > :39:45.policies that were announced came directly out of the consultation
:39:45. > :39:53.events we have done in Reading. You are both working hard already. Are
:39:53. > :40:02.you going to get exhausted? You get used to it. I have been doing it
:40:02. > :40:08.since 2007. It takes a lot to exhaust me. And you are only just
:40:08. > :40:13.getting started. Now, the next election could well be a close run
:40:13. > :40:17.thing so it is intriguing that a report has highlighted the number of
:40:17. > :40:26.constituencies, many in our region, where the black and minority ethnic
:40:26. > :40:33.is larger than the incumbent. Seeds in the South, that could make a big
:40:33. > :40:37.difference. One in four lakh and minority ethnic. There are quite a
:40:37. > :40:42.number of seeds this year in the region. We start with the two seeds
:40:42. > :40:55.that you two guests are contesting. But also there is South Swindon,
:40:55. > :40:59.Plymouth and a whole number of seeds where the BME population is larger
:40:59. > :41:04.than the city. We are only counting marginal seats and not seeds that
:41:04. > :41:08.are safe. Clearly, black and ethnic minorities will have a significant
:41:08. > :41:17.impact at the next general election. The report says that if you are in
:41:17. > :41:21.that group and you care about politics, you need to pay attention.
:41:21. > :41:30.I think it is saying a number of different things. The operation was
:41:30. > :41:35.performed 17 years ago to combat levels of underrepresentation. It is
:41:35. > :41:39.also saying to the parties that every section of society will have
:41:39. > :41:45.any impact in some way on the general election, but when you look
:41:45. > :41:53.at pensioners, for example, the vote is regarded as being very powerful.
:41:53. > :41:58.What we are saying to all political parties is that when it comes to
:41:58. > :42:02.black and Asian and other ethnic communities, they want to hear what
:42:02. > :42:08.the political parties are going to be offering them. They want the same
:42:08. > :42:12.things as everybody else when it comes to education and health, but
:42:12. > :42:18.there are political issues when it comes to combating unfair
:42:18. > :42:21.discrimination across the social spectrum. These are things that
:42:21. > :42:28.political parties at the moment do not have a policy on by and large.
:42:28. > :42:32.We are saying that BME communities have the power and should realise
:42:32. > :42:37.that they can make the demands to the politicians and the politicians
:42:37. > :42:44.need to respond in return. You are highlighting places where there are
:42:44. > :42:52.small my jollity is —— majorities. In England and Wales there are 168
:42:52. > :42:56.seats which is significant. Popular political assumptions is that it
:42:56. > :43:00.only takes 100 seats to swing either way to determine who gets the keys
:43:00. > :43:08.to Downing Street. Do you believe in this sort of thing, digging out
:43:08. > :43:14.groups of the population? I am a bit uncomfortable with it. A lot of the
:43:15. > :43:20.black and minority ethnic groups in Southampton, and lots of people
:43:20. > :43:25.within those groups, have the same values as I do. Family, working
:43:25. > :43:31.hard, taxes, some of them talk about immigration. The new communities
:43:31. > :43:36.that are coming from eastern Europe are causing challenges in
:43:36. > :43:41.themselves. Looking towards those groups of people, I find it
:43:41. > :43:46.uncomfortable, this positive discrimination thing. They share
:43:46. > :43:53.many of our values. They tend to vote Labour. They do. I am invited
:43:53. > :44:00.to go and visit groups of people in a mosque, but they tell me all of
:44:00. > :44:06.the things we have in common and they tell me they will vote Labour,
:44:06. > :44:11.which is interesting. Why is that? I do not think that is entirely true.
:44:11. > :44:17.It has been changing every single election and studies have shown that
:44:17. > :44:23.the hold that Labour have had over the BME vote is going down. It was
:44:23. > :44:27.93% but at the last election it was 68% and is heading downwards. That
:44:27. > :44:36.vote is not going to any other party. I do take an issue with
:44:36. > :44:42.saying everyone has the same values. To a certain extent, they
:44:42. > :44:45.do. Single mothers have the same values as everyone else but at the
:44:45. > :44:52.same time their policies which would benefit them, and I think the same
:44:52. > :44:58.is true of ethnic. I have done some work with women of black African
:44:58. > :45:02.origin about allowing them to make the best of themselves and run
:45:02. > :45:05.businesses, and we have done some work with that recently, and
:45:05. > :45:13.although this group of women have joined another mainstream business
:45:13. > :45:18.group recently, there are challenges they have faced. We need to tackle
:45:18. > :45:23.those head—on and work with those communities from the grassroots and
:45:23. > :45:32.enable people to have a full part in our great British society. If you
:45:32. > :45:36.knock on a door and find any issue, my view is that you deal with it and
:45:36. > :45:42.work with it. That is what I will continue to do. And coming in.
:45:42. > :45:47.Labour held their party conference last week in Brighton. We had lots
:45:47. > :45:52.of policy announcements and a speech from the leader that went down well
:45:52. > :45:57.in the hall. Did they do enough to recapture their glory days in the
:45:57. > :46:00.South? We will not vote for you if you
:46:00. > :46:06.support fracking in the next election! It is rapidly becoming all
:46:06. > :46:17.about the next election and anti—fracking campaigner Clive from
:46:17. > :46:24.Wilts words here. —— was here. We will be against any government that
:46:24. > :46:28.supports fracking. For Southampton MP Alan Whitehead, the question was
:46:28. > :46:34.how to get the question out of the bubble. This will be the conference
:46:34. > :46:38.where a lot of the colour and texture of what the next Labour
:46:38. > :46:47.government is going to look like is going to be unrolled. Tapping into
:46:47. > :46:53.people's sense of community was one thing. Labour's Jim Murphy said they
:46:53. > :46:57.had ignored southern voters who were patriotic and loved the Queen. I
:46:57. > :47:01.think he is saying that it appeals to people who are part of their
:47:01. > :47:06.community, live in their community, and use those services. Labour
:47:06. > :47:10.values are the values of the community and I think that that
:47:10. > :47:16.message does not just have to do ring in northern towns. I think the
:47:16. > :47:22.more we have women in policy votes, I think the more policies will be
:47:22. > :47:27.geared towards families. Men tend to think in a narrow way and the women
:47:27. > :47:33.had a new dimension which we should really look at. Nowadays, with the
:47:33. > :47:39.austerity and cutbacks, it is on the family where the pressure is. Women
:47:39. > :47:49.understand that more than men. One of the Thames Valley's biggest
:47:49. > :47:55.employers, Microsoft, was keen to influence Labour. We are concerned
:47:55. > :48:07.that the UK needs a highly skilled workforce in order to compete. They
:48:07. > :48:15.were selling a 3—D printer, but can it scan the voter's minds? Until it
:48:15. > :48:26.can, conference is the best thing. I am proud of this. Do not pop it on
:48:26. > :48:35.the radio! What about those little red policies, then? Some of them
:48:35. > :48:40.seemed to unravel. The energy prices. Lose it or use it? Is that
:48:40. > :48:45.something that will work in the South? We are really short on
:48:45. > :48:49.housing and we need to tackle it. We have a growing population and we
:48:49. > :48:56.need to house people. The energy stuff is vital and I think Ed Balls
:48:56. > :49:04.made it vital that, with wholesale prices going down by 45%, people are
:49:04. > :49:09.really feeling the pinch. We have to do something about it. I will
:49:09. > :49:21.campaign about it. He took the side of the boat against big business. I
:49:21. > :49:26.think that Labour's decarbonising policy will put another hundred and
:49:26. > :49:37.£25,000 a year on bills rather than take it off. Ed Balls was Secretary
:49:37. > :49:45.of State when gas prices doubled. Perhaps you should allow me to
:49:45. > :49:50.speak... Well... He was the Secretary of State for energy and
:49:50. > :49:54.had the chance to do this. Under Ed Balls, bills went down by £100.
:49:54. > :50:05.Under this government, they have gone up by 300 quid. We are in a
:50:05. > :50:11.situation where we have seen prices rising when he is in power. We saw
:50:11. > :50:17.them double in the last years of the Labour government. It is tough out
:50:18. > :50:23.there. What happens if there is a spike in the oil price? What happens
:50:23. > :50:31.to infrastructure investment? What happens to all these things? Is it
:50:31. > :50:34.popular with the public? If you were to say to someone that you are going
:50:34. > :50:43.to freeze your bills, it would have a populist affect. What happens if
:50:43. > :50:51.the lights go out? What then? What happens if that happens? You need
:50:51. > :50:56.some way to subsidise it. He talked about informal reform but he ignored
:50:56. > :51:07.some of the calls from union leaders at the beginning for more to be done
:51:07. > :51:14.for work's writes. —— worker's writes. For me, we said that we
:51:14. > :51:17.would freeze prices until 20 17th and lots of energy companies have
:51:17. > :51:25.come on board and said they would freeze prices. It is about getting a
:51:25. > :51:30.really tough regulator ready in 2017 to get a fair price for people like
:51:30. > :51:34.you and me. That is important. He as ignored a lot of tough questions
:51:34. > :51:40.from union leaders and the influence they have over the Labour Party by
:51:40. > :51:45.going for populist measures instead. I disagree. We were united at the
:51:45. > :51:50.conference. I think people expected a different conference but I did not
:51:50. > :51:56.feel this. There has never been a better time for trade unionist and
:51:56. > :52:00.members of the public to unite behind a common cause and I believe
:52:00. > :52:04.that to be Labour. If you have been watching over the last couple of
:52:04. > :52:09.weeks, you will know that we have been asking voters how they feel
:52:09. > :52:22.about the main parties. We asked what animal they would be if they
:52:22. > :52:35.were an animal. A Psion. A Psion because they are
:52:35. > :52:42.quite ferocious. A lion. A hamster because they go round in a circle. A
:52:42. > :52:59.spider so I could squash it. A leech. A fox so we can hunt it. A
:52:59. > :53:08.crocodile. It has bitten us. An owl because they are wise but they are
:53:08. > :53:16.old and statesman—like. A mongoose. Bear because it is stubborn. A
:53:16. > :53:24.rhino. It is thick—skinned and barges ahead regardless of anything.
:53:24. > :53:31.We will leave that but thick skin is what you need in government. I think
:53:31. > :53:36.you do. If you are oversensitive then perhaps this will not be the
:53:36. > :53:39.job for some people. It has been a summer of protest for Middle
:53:39. > :53:52.England, at least the parts that lives around Bacombe. I spoke to the
:53:52. > :53:56.Prime Minister before he headed to Manchester and asked him whether he
:53:56. > :54:01.can be certain that the process fracking is safe. Certain as I can
:54:01. > :54:05.be from looking at all of the evidence here and internationally,
:54:05. > :54:09.listening to the scientific experts. It should only go ahead if
:54:09. > :54:15.it is not to cause environmental damage. I think those questions are
:54:15. > :54:19.being answered and so is the bigger question which is, do we want
:54:19. > :54:23.plentiful supplies of inexpensive gas which will keep our energy bills
:54:23. > :54:29.down and improve our record on climate change as well. Would it
:54:29. > :54:33.make sense to do it in the north where an employment is higher? We
:54:33. > :54:38.should be prepared to seek reserves of gas wherever they are. There are
:54:38. > :54:44.some people, and let's be clear about this, there are some people
:54:44. > :54:53.who do not want any form of fuel to be discovered if it has carbon in
:54:53. > :55:02.it. I think they are being incredibly frustrating and naive. If
:55:03. > :55:08.you replace coal with gas, they are so opposed to any carbon —based
:55:08. > :55:12.industry that they cannot bear any form of industry to go ahead. Some
:55:12. > :55:20.protests are coming from Conservative members. I am listening
:55:20. > :55:23.and I think one of the reasons and things we need to do to encourage
:55:23. > :55:28.local people to believe that fracking is acceptable is generous
:55:28. > :55:34.payments to local members. This includes when Elwell is first dark
:55:34. > :55:42.and then up to £10 million per well once it gets going. Communities can
:55:42. > :55:46.benefit from this resource. The country can benefit. On HS2, I think
:55:46. > :55:55.this is really important to an audience in the South East, R West
:55:55. > :56:00.Coast Main Line is full and we need to build another one. The question
:56:00. > :56:04.is whether we build an old Victorian one or a high—speed one. The worry
:56:05. > :56:10.people have in other parts of the country is that too much of the
:56:10. > :56:18.transport budget is going on this scheme. We will spend three times as
:56:18. > :56:22.much on other transport and road schemes as we do on HS2. That will
:56:22. > :56:29.mean improvements in the South East as well as going ahead with the
:56:29. > :56:35.first stage of HS2. Can I ask a question about UKIP? Is there a
:56:35. > :56:40.possibility that Nigel Farage is more in touch with the grass roots
:56:40. > :56:46.than you are? I do not accept that. We have had to take very difficult
:56:46. > :56:50.decisions with all of those cuts and deficit reductions. People have
:56:50. > :56:55.asked whether it is worth it and I think it is worth it if we complete
:56:55. > :57:01.the job of delivering a recovery for everybody and showing that if you
:57:01. > :57:05.work hard and we are on your side. If you focus on the big task,
:57:05. > :57:13.turning the country around, that is what matters. Prime Minister, and Q.
:57:13. > :57:19.—— thank you. Labour have lost lots of votes there. In Southampton there
:57:19. > :57:26.was a by—election and the Labour vote disappeared by half. I am not
:57:26. > :57:38.picking it up in Reading at all. I knock on a lot of doors every week
:57:38. > :57:42.and I am not picking it up. Issues on immigration and the blue Labour
:57:42. > :57:50.approach. There were lots of union Jacks around the Labour conference
:57:50. > :57:59.but is that what is —— Ed Miliband once? One of the issues has been
:57:59. > :58:01.child—care and cost of living but I think everybody feels strongly about
:58:01. > :58:05.the place that they live and a country that they live in and they
:58:06. > :58:13.are proud of that. I believe that we are a party of the entire country,
:58:13. > :58:17.and that is how you go forward. On Europe, are people talking about
:58:17. > :58:22.that on the doorstep? Is that the reason they want to vote for UKIP?
:58:22. > :58:28.No, I do not think it is. Immigration will help and earlier we
:58:28. > :58:31.were talking about black and ethnic minority groups. Some of those
:58:31. > :58:35.groups talk about immigration because they feel they are being
:58:35. > :58:39.disadvantaged in the same way as everybody else. Immigration is a big
:58:39. > :58:51.issue but Europe is not so much. UKIP has done a good job of linking
:58:51. > :58:57.the two. Immigration much more than Europe although the two things are
:58:57. > :59:07.linked. It is now time for our regular round—up of the political
:59:07. > :59:11.week in the south. Sussex MP Caroline Lucas will be
:59:11. > :59:14.prosecuted after fracking demonstrations. She is charged with
:59:14. > :59:21.obstructing the highway and failing to move. Rather than a blockade, the
:59:22. > :59:27.firefighter's protest was a four hour walk—out. A private company was
:59:27. > :59:33.brought in as back—up and strikers lost a full day of pay. The largest
:59:33. > :59:43.housing estate in Oxford for 30 years was approved by the City
:59:43. > :59:48.Council. 900 homes will be built. In the end, it would be concrete and
:59:49. > :59:55.bricks. We need this, we need somewhere to live. Nearly twice as
:59:55. > :00:02.many potholes as usual need fixing in Oxfordshire causing an overspend.
:00:02. > :00:06.So many wealthy Russians want our house in Dorset that one estate
:00:06. > :00:14.agent has Russian speaking staff and a branch in Moscow.
:00:14. > :00:22.In the end, it is the economy, isn't it? The pound in your pocket or not
:00:22. > :00:28.in your pocket. A big issue. You think this will work for Labour? I
:00:28. > :00:32.think the existing is to talk to people and find out what their needs
:00:32. > :00:37.are. For conservatives, it is about getting the economy right. Interest
:00:37. > :00:42.rates are low because of the action we have taken. Not so many people
:00:43. > :00:47.are losing their houses as in previous recessions. And not long
:00:47. > :00:52.until the election. Thank you, both, for coming in. That is the Sunday
:00:52. > :01:00.Politics in the South. Thank you to my guests this week. Do not forget,
:01:00. > :01:04.keep reading my blog for all things political. There is the address on
:01:04. > :01:05.the bottom of your screen. It is off to
:01:05. > :01:06.for. My thanks again to Mary McLeod and Emily Thornberry. Back to you,
:01:06. > :01:19.Andrew. So, we'll David Cameron's marriage
:01:19. > :01:27.tax break win over voters? How will So, we'll David Cameron's marriage
:01:27. > :01:39.conference initiatives? And what is UKIP leader Nigel FarageFarage up to
:01:39. > :01:41.with the Tories in Manchester? Joining us now is UKIP's Diane
:01:41. > :01:56.On this business of a possible Tory- UKIP pact, in a general election,
:01:56. > :02:02.let's see what David Cameron had to say about that earlier. I am not
:02:02. > :02:05.looking for a packed. I think we need to give people a clear choice
:02:05. > :02:09.at the general election. The British economy has turned a corner. We
:02:09. > :02:12.at the general election. The British on the right track, we are seeing
:02:12. > :02:15.more jobs, new businesses, we are beginning to get things moving
:02:15. > :02:20.again. Do you want to stick with us, hard-working people, or do you want
:02:20. > :02:25.to put it at risk with Ed Miliband hard-working people, or do you want
:02:25. > :02:32.and his crazy plans to tax business out of existence? That was the Prime
:02:32. > :02:39.there any appetite on the UKIP side discussions around the country,
:02:39. > :02:50.there any appetite on the UKIP side would say no. It's being discussed,
:02:50. > :02:53.is the media that is pushing this. It has reflected what has happened
:02:53. > :02:59.conference season began. Labour It has reflected what has happened
:02:59. > :03:05.trying to reclaim what I would call position. I'm not sure what the
:03:05. > :03:11.Liberal Democrats or two, but the Conservatives are trying to react to
:03:11. > :03:16.accusation they are lurching more to the right, which the media wants to
:03:16. > :03:20.able to do some sort of pact with interpret as them possibly being
:03:20. > :03:26.able to do some sort of pact with UKIP. Have you given any thought to
:03:26. > :03:33.whatsoever. It is not on the radar. I have read comments, including
:03:33. > :03:39.Carswell, the Eurosceptics, that they might form a potential, let's
:03:40. > :03:43.call it, you know, cabinet. If there were UKIP members, I don't doubt
:03:43. > :03:46.that Nigel Farage would be one of them. But I would reiterate it is
:03:46. > :03:54.not discussions that are taking place. I am thinking more of an
:03:54. > :03:58.have responded to that by saying, the moment, there are no ongoing
:03:58. > :04:05.discussions. There is certainly constituency level or coming out of
:04:05. > :04:14.believe any constituencies are Eurosceptics? I am not privy to
:04:14. > :04:17.believe any constituencies are all 360 constituencies might be
:04:17. > :04:22.discussing. All I can do is give you the example of the few I have seen
:04:22. > :04:24.and know it is not on the agenda. Without a pact, it is perfectly
:04:24. > :04:29.possible that you could fail to Without a pact, it is perfectly
:04:29. > :04:34.a single seat at the next election, but put Ed Miliband into Downing
:04:34. > :04:36.Street? Categorically not. There are a number of seats out there that are
:04:36. > :04:53.very clear marginals, just like a number of seats out there that are
:04:53. > :04:58.Izzard was. I believe there could be an MP -- just like Eastleigh was. If
:04:58. > :05:02.you take enough votes away from an MP -- just like Eastleigh was. If
:05:02. > :05:07.Tories, if you make sure that Labour wins? I will go back to the comment
:05:07. > :05:12.I made. If you take Eastleigh as an example, a Liberal Democrat held
:05:12. > :05:17.seat, even after that result, does not mean that UKIP is suddenly going
:05:17. > :05:21.to be focusing on Tory seats. We are out there because people resonate
:05:21. > :05:24.with our message. For the Liberal Democrats to make it abundantly
:05:24. > :05:27.clear that they will not support a referendum, that they will not
:05:27. > :05:31.support any discussion on leaving the queue, that could be a big
:05:31. > :05:33.turn-off for voters. David Cameron says there is not going to be a
:05:33. > :05:37.pact, Diane James says there is says there is not going to be a
:05:37. > :05:39.going to be one. There might be says there is not going to be a
:05:39. > :05:41.or at a constituency level. But says there is not going to be a
:05:41. > :05:46.seems clear to me that there will not be a national one. So, does
:05:46. > :05:49.David Cameron have a UKIP strategy? The only encouraging thing for
:05:49. > :05:51.UKIP's successful David Cameron that the moment that he would only
:05:51. > :05:55.that their support is so enormous that the moment that he would only
:05:55. > :05:58.really need to win back maybe a third or a quarter of its to make a
:05:58. > :06:02.decisive difference to the Tory share of the vote in 2015. The
:06:02. > :06:07.question becomes, how much of that UKIP support is up for grabs? A
:06:07. > :06:09.question becomes, how much of that last week suggested that 47% of
:06:09. > :06:13.current UKIP voters would consider voting Tory if it meant preventing
:06:13. > :06:19.Ed Miliband becoming Prime Minister. That number goes up to 57% against
:06:19. > :06:25.recovery. So, plausibly, there is secondary question is, what does
:06:25. > :06:29.David Cameron do to win over those people? He has tried a Europe will
:06:29. > :06:33.referendum and it didn't work. He tried travelling up his immigration
:06:33. > :06:38.policy and that didn't work. I wonder if it is time. You wait until
:06:38. > :06:44.the run-up to 2015, when they start to focus on the explicit choice
:06:44. > :06:52.Cameron, and that is what shifts a Cameron. We heard from William Hague
:06:52. > :06:56.earlier in the programme, the Tory line is that if you vote UKIP you
:06:56. > :07:01.could end up with Ed Miliband in Downing Street. That is the simple
:07:01. > :07:08.appeal, isn't it? Yes, and I think Diane is right, I think the European
:07:08. > :07:12.elections will show a good showing for UKIP. It is deemed the one where
:07:12. > :07:14.you can play away. I think it will be hard for people to get excited
:07:14. > :07:20.about that, I think that bounce be hard for people to get excited
:07:20. > :07:26.fade away. In Eastleigh, they had a good ground game, that is difficult
:07:26. > :07:28.for UKIP, that don't have that machinery sorted. How are they going
:07:28. > :07:33.to fund that operation? But the machinery sorted. How are they going
:07:33. > :07:39.bounce could fade away after the European elections. Even if they go
:07:39. > :07:43.election, they are still immensely dangerous to the Conservative Party.
:07:43. > :07:47.But there is really only two things David Cameron can do. One is to
:07:47. > :07:49.But there is really only two things boring and talk about helping people
:07:49. > :07:54.with their mortgage, helping with bread and butter issues. The second
:07:54. > :07:57.thing is, those European actions, he tends to the natural Conservative
:07:57. > :07:59.voters and says, you have had your fun, next year do you want me or Ed
:07:59. > :08:03.Miliband us your prime and? The fun, next year do you want me or Ed
:08:03. > :08:07.danger with David Cameron is saying, of course, there is not going to be
:08:07. > :08:13.a pact, the danger is you will get a repeat of the 1977 election. John
:08:13. > :08:19.Major said, famously, do not bind my hands. A series of Conservative
:08:19. > :08:24.personally rule out membership of the euro, when the Conservative
:08:24. > :08:25.membership was wait and see. That looked like a Prime Minister not in
:08:25. > :08:32.charge of his party. The danger looked like a Prime Minister not in
:08:32. > :08:34.Let's assume you do really well looked like a Prime Minister not in
:08:34. > :08:41.the European actions and there is a widespread expectation that you
:08:41. > :08:45.will, even in Downing Street. They might be managing expectations.
:08:45. > :08:47.will, even in Downing Street. They stops you fading away as the general
:08:47. > :08:50.election approaches? A number of reasons. As has been mentioned,
:08:50. > :08:52.election approaches? A number of whole issue of the referendum pledge
:08:53. > :08:59.has been proved to be an absolute nonsense. It is so contingent on if
:08:59. > :09:07.I am re-elected, if it's not a coalition government, is, if, if.
:09:07. > :09:08.That was fooled nobody. The issue of where voters are coming from, it is
:09:08. > :09:12.because they have lost faith in where voters are coming from, it is
:09:12. > :09:19.David Cameron says. There is nothing he is going to say that is convince
:09:19. > :09:21.think that is my view and the view of a lot of UKIP. I am told that
:09:21. > :09:29.they have expunged Nigel Farage of a lot of UKIP. I am told that
:09:29. > :09:33.the fringes? It is a great scoop, on the front page. They are outside the
:09:33. > :09:38.ring of steel. Even so, they won't programme, so they must be worried
:09:38. > :09:43.paid money for adverts in the Tory about something. His people have
:09:43. > :09:43.paid money for adverts in the Tory brochure and his name has been taken
:09:43. > :09:48.out. Speaking of people the Tory brochure and his name has been taken
:09:48. > :09:53.leadership is worried about, Boris Johnson, are we in any doubt as
:09:53. > :09:59.leadership is worried about, Boris interview that he is now beginning
:09:59. > :10:01.his long march back to Parliament? He does express feeling slightly sad
:10:01. > :10:04.during the Syria debate that he He does express feeling slightly sad
:10:04. > :10:10.not there, on the political front line to participate. I still do
:10:10. > :10:14.not there, on the political front see why it is in his interest is to
:10:14. > :10:17.move before 2015. No, I don't think he will move before, I think he
:10:17. > :10:17.move before 2015. No, I don't think sending a signal to the existing
:10:17. > :10:29.Tories in the Commons that when sending a signal to the existing
:10:29. > :10:33.Me Dave goes, I will be back? He has the Vince Cable problem, if you
:10:33. > :10:36.Me Dave goes, I will be back? He has the same thing too many times,
:10:36. > :10:40.people get bored and factor it in. The interesting thing is him saying
:10:40. > :10:45.that people have seven years before the electorate get bored of them. He
:10:45. > :10:48.might be cresting that. He doesn't want to be Prime Minister, he is
:10:48. > :10:56.much more ambitious than that. He wants to be an emperor. He was
:10:56. > :11:02.asked, which Roman emperor would you like to be compared to? You said,
:11:02. > :11:09.important. I don't think you are thinking big enough. See what I
:11:09. > :11:09.important. I don't think you are to put up with, every Sunday? By
:11:10. > :11:14.virtue of being born in the US, to put up with, every Sunday? By
:11:14. > :11:24.could be president. Unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger. How about a deal
:11:24. > :11:27.with Boris? He has made no secret, after Eastleigh, that he would be
:11:27. > :11:31.open to a discussion. Let's call it no more than a discussion. He has
:11:31. > :11:36.been adamant, however, he does not see any reason, any justification or
:11:36. > :11:42.any opportunity where he would be able to have that discourse with
:11:42. > :11:45.any opportunity where he would be David Cameron. Maybe it comes down
:11:45. > :11:49.to that on both sides. I've no idea. We know that the Tories will be
:11:49. > :11:52.to that on both sides. I've no idea. more Eurosceptic after the next
:11:52. > :11:56.election? I can't imagine David Cameron's successor will be somebody
:11:56. > :12:04.that supports EU membership in ideological direction of the party.
:12:04. > :12:05.The leadership contest will be about 2018. If you are standing, when
:12:05. > :12:12.this is a great deal for Britain membership, are you going to say
:12:12. > :12:15.this is a great deal for Britain because the Prime Minister has
:12:15. > :12:17.turned to leave rapid change two words in the working Time directive,
:12:17. > :12:20.turned to leave rapid change two or are you going to become a leader
:12:20. > :12:32.by saying, I want out? What would be a good conference for David Cameron
:12:32. > :12:36.eye-catching announcement related to living standards. May be a clearer
:12:36. > :12:41.line on energy prices? That would certainly help, that fightback has
:12:41. > :12:44.been rubbish so far. The thing we should be looking out for are not
:12:44. > :12:48.the polls immediately after, but the ones about the end of October, when
:12:48. > :12:53.everything gets to settle down and then we will see what happens. In a
:12:53. > :12:57.word, what is Nigel Farage out to get at the Tory conference? What is
:12:57. > :13:05.he doing, other than mischief? I could almost say revenge. Revenge on
:13:05. > :13:11.Mr Cameron? Yes. You know? Lord Ashcroft was there at the Labour
:13:11. > :13:15.conference. You call it mischief, but there is every reason why he
:13:15. > :13:19.should be there. We all call it mischief. Thanks for being with
:13:19. > :13:22.should be there. We all call it Join me on Daily Politics for live
:13:22. > :13:26.coverage of the Conservative Party conference tomorrow morning from
:13:26. > :13:30.11:30 on BBC Two. We will bring conference tomorrow morning from
:13:30. > :13:34.George Osborne's speech live and uninterrupted. I'll be back next
:13:34. > :13:35.weekend when guests will include former Conservative Chancellor
:13:35. > :13:38.Kenneth Clarke. Remember, if it former Conservative Chancellor
:13:38. > :13:41.Sunday, it's the Sunday Politics.